Avatar: The Tale of Kagome (Book 1) The Jewel of Water
by Creativegirl the Wolf-Hanyou
Summary: Water-bender Kagome Higurashi has always been viewed as an 'oddity' amongst members of the Southern Water Tribe for her tomboyish tendencies and practice of water-bending skills that are usually only done by men. But when destiny comes calling, Kagome will set out on a journey of a lifetime, meeting new friends and learning what it means to be an Avatar. InuKag MirSan 1st story
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own "InuYasha" or "Avatar: The Last Airbender". InuYasha characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi and ATLA belongs to nickelodeon.

NOTE: Also, in this AU, there is no Republic City. It's up to you to decide wether or not this takes place before the time of Aang, or if the events of the ATLA series happened at all.

Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Romance, Drama, and Friendship Rating: T (Teen) Book One: The Jewel of WaterPrologue

Screams resinated throughout the cramped dwelling as a young woman continued to give birth to a new life entering the world. Old lady Kaede had never seen so much blood during a birth in all of her years as the Southern Water Tribe's healer. Unfortunately, this meant that either the mother, the child, or both would not survive this ordeal. It wasn't a possibility, it was a guarantee. The old healer could still remember when the soon-to-be mother was brought to her. Unable to stand on her own due to the contractions that racked through her body, the woman was carried in by the men. The young lady wore strange clothing, telling Kaede right away that the woman wasn't from either of the two water tribes.  
"Alright, child. It is time for ye to push. It's almost over," the eye-patched healer instructed, positioning herself so that she would be able to catch the head of the nearly born babe when the time came.

"Ugh, o-okay...I-I'm re-ready..." answered the woman, gasping in pain.

"Ready? And push!"

The screams resumed, disturbing the otherwise tranquil peace of the South Pole. They continued to echo through that snowy landscape for an hour, the haunting shrieks of pain embedding themselves in the ears and minds of the villagers for years to come, until finally, it stopped.  
"It's a girl!" Kaede proclaimed triumphantly, as she wrapped the squirming newborn in a fuzzy blue blanket. She went over to the new mother and kneeled down next to her. The young mother, sweaty and exhausted, lazily rolled her head onto her right shoulder to see her child, a weak but loving smile gracing her features.

"She's beautiful..."

"Aye, that she is,"

"Thank you for your help, Lady...?"

"Kaede, child,"

"Lady Kaede. I thank you for your aid, but I-I m-must ask of y-you a f-favor..."

"Of course, child. What is it?"

"First, I m-must a-ask th-that you t-take t-this..." The young woman took hold of a half of a small, pure white jewel that hung from around her neck and placed it in Kaede's free hand. The healer gasped in astonishment.

"But this is-!" Kaede stuttered.

"Yes. It is t-to be g-given to my baby on h-her si-sixteenth bir-birthday..." Blood seeped out the woman's mouth and her gaze was becoming more unfocused.

"Child-!" Kaede exclaimed, noticing the blood as well.

"Second, I-I'd l-like y-you to t-teach her w-waterbe-bending w-when the t-time is ri-right,"

"Child, are ye sure?"

"Yes. I c-can tell y-you are a st-strong wa-water bender, L-Lady Ka-Kaede. Y-you are e-exactly who m-my child n-needs to tr-train her. Will y-you do it...?" Her voice was no more than a whisper now. She was losing the fight. Kaede was silent for a moment as she considered the dying mother's words. A small whine drew her attention to the restless and crying baby still clutched in her arms. Kaede knew the mother didn't have much time left, and that the child would need a gaurdian. With a wave of resolve, Kaede looked the weak young lady in her death bed and gave her answer,

"Yes, child. I shall do it,"

The woman smiled and allowed a lone tear to slide it's way down her pale and ashen cheek, "Thank you..." she replied gratefully.

"Would ye at least like to name your daughter before you go?" Kaede asked hesitantly. The mother nodded weakly.

"Kagome. Kagome Higurashi..."

With that, the woman breathed her last breath, before going limb completely, no longer one of the living. For a moment, Kaede just sat there, the babe's cries and wheals the only thing that could be heard in the now eerily quiet dwelling that not too long ago was the place of unyielding screaming and chaos. The old woman then looked at the half of the broken jewel, wondering how and why the now deceased woman had it in the first place. When Kaede made her way out of the dwelling, many of the men of the tribe, including the headman, were waiting outside for her.

"How's the mother?" The headman asked.

"She's gone," Kaede answered, shaking her head regretfully. Many of the men lowered their heads mournfully, but the headman looked over the babe being held in the healer's arms, grimacing when she turned her large, innocent blue eyes to him.

"And I suppose that's the offspring?" His tone was bitter, almost harsh, and many of the men shifted uncomfortably at his tone towards the infant. Kaede narrowed her gray eyebrows at him.

"Aye. What of it?" She pushed.

"Get rid of it," he demanded.

"WHAT!?" Kaede, as well as the men, shouted, stunned and appalled at the notion.

"That child is not one of the tribe, nor is it from our sister tribe. You all saw the mother's cloths; she was obviously a foreigner. That child does not belong here," he finished, his tone leaving no room for argument. However, old Kaede was having none of it.

"I shall not just leave an orphaned child to fend for herself out there on her own! Especially in an unforgiving place such as this!" Kaede shot back, outraged at the headman's logic to why they baby couldn't stay.

"Than where do you expect that child to go in the village? All the women have their own babes to watch after along with chores, and our men are either away on trade, hunting, or too old,"

"I will look after her! I promised her mother that I'd train her in water bending and I plan on keeping such a promise!" Kaede concluded resolutely, meeting the headman's hard gaze head on. They stared each other down for what felt like hours, but in reality was only a few long moments, Kagome's cries the only sound to be heard. Finally, the headman stepped back in defeat. He breathed in, composing himself before he looked to the elder woman sternly.

"Very well. From this moment onward, I decree that you, Lady Kaede, are hereby this child's new gaurdian and Bending Master. She is now your responsibility,"

Kaede nodded and with one last cold glare thrown her way, the headman turned and stocked away, the other men who remained silent through the whole ordeal following after him warily, throwing worried looks over in Kaede's direction. Kaede breathed a sigh of relief as her posture sagged. A small cry brought her attention back to the small bundle in her arms as her old, gray eyes clashed with striking blue. The healer brought the baby closer to her until their faces were leveled to each other. Small, foaming bubbles oozed out of Kagome's mouth, making Kaede chuckle.

"I have a feeling that there is more to ye than meets the eye, little one,"

Kagome's only response were gurgling sounds. To be continued... 


	2. Chapter One: The New Avatar

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own "InuYasha" or "Avatar: The Last Airbender". InuYasha characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi and ATLA belongs to Nickelodion.

 **WARNING: THIS CHAPTER INCLUDES CUSSING! ALSO, THIS CHAPTER IS VERY LONG, SO BRACE YOURSELVES!**

 **Ages: Kagome: 15-16 Kaede: 76 *I'll be giving the other character's ages as they are introduced to the chapter* Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Romance, Drama, and Friendship. Rating: T(Teen)**

 **Book One: The Jewel of Water**

 **Chapter One: The New Avatar**

 _"Kagome..."_

Someone was calling her name in the dark void that surrounded her. She didn't know the voice, and yet, it filled her with comfort and warmth. Kagome couldn't explain it, but the voice sounded as though she had heard it a long time ago, perhaps another life maybe, but for the life of her she couldn't recognize it! "Who are you?" She found herself asking.

 _"The time is almost upon you, young one..."_ The voice continued, not acknowledging her question.

"Time? For what?!" Kagome exclaimed, desperation evident in her tone. Suddenly, a blinding light broke through the dense blackness. The young girl covered her ocean blue eyes so that she wouldn't go blind by the brilliance of the heavenly glow. When the intenseness of the light became more bearable, Kagome peered over her arm that was shielding her face, and dropped it to hang limply at her side as her eyes widened in astonishment.  
There, mere feet away from her paralyzed form, was a woman. However, Kagome couldn't help but feel as though she were more heavenly than an ordinary woman, so she just made the conclusion the the entity was an angel, or perhaps even a goddess. The said goddess wore strange armor over what appeared to be nomadic Air-Temple robes underneath, complete with a sword hitched onto her left hip. Her face was soft, tattoos in the shapes of arrows adorning her forehead and hands from what Kagome could see. The woman's eyes were worn and tired, as though they had seen years upon years of war and famine and the burden of a great responsibility that the young water-bender couldn't even begin to comprehend. Even so, those same eyes still held a deep sense of comfort and understanding that instantly made Kagome feel at ease in the strange phantom's presence. Yes, phantom. The eerie blue glow that surrounded the entity encased her, making her skin, and cloths different shades of blue, and she was slightly transparent.

 _"Destiny is on the horizon, young child. The Elementals must come together once more, lest the world be doomed as we know it..."_ The spirit predicted, vanishing from sight.

"Wait! What are you talking about!? What Elementals!? Come back! Please, COME BACK!"

"KAGOME!"

"AH!" Kagome bolted awake at the sound of Kaede calling her name, effectively tumbling out of her cot of a bed and bumping her head on the matted, yet still cold and unforgiving ground. Rubbing her head for a moment, the fifteen-year-old turned to face her teacher and guardian with annoyed blue eyes. Kaede simply chuckled.

"That's what ye get for oversleeping," Kaede said, her voiced filled with mirth.

Grumbling, Kagome stood up, grabbed her day cloths and went to the shoji curtain panels where a warm bath, heated by a fire underneath the raised wood of the tub, awaited her. Once she was done getting dressed in her warm, fuzzy clothing, the teenager made her way to the center of the dwelling where breakfast was being cooked by Kaede and sat down next to her sensei.

"Not my fault I was having a freaking nightmare," Kagome said, but flinched when she realized she'd let it slip.

"Nightmare, ye say? Care to elaborate?" Kaede persisted.

"Uh, nothing. It was just a weird dream..."

"Kagome..."

"Okay, okay! It was weird, though; I was in this black abyss and I was the only one there, but then I started to hear a voice,"

"Voice?"

"Yeah, but then there was this bright light and when I looked back up, there was a woman standing there. She seemed so...so powerful, almost like a goddess, and she wore heavy armor over these nomadic robes and she had tattoos and-"

"Wait! Ye mean robes such as those that the air-benders wear, as well as the armor and tattoos?" The old healer inquired, almost urgently. Her apprentice sat, shocked at her mentor's serious tone.

"U-um..y-yes. Is...is there something wrong, Master Kaede?" She asked, uncertain.

The elderly bender took on a look of contemplation, further confusing the younger bender in the process. It was only when Kagome asked if she was alright that Kaede snapped back to the present. Shaking her head, Kaede smiled, "It is nothing, child. Do not fret. Now, what do ye say we eat breakfast and then go train. I have some new techniques to show ye that are up to the next level in water-bending that I believe ye are now of age to learn, since ye's birthday is tomorrow," she said enthusiastically. Kagome got a cheerful spark in her eyes as she clapped her hands together in excited anticipation.

Ever since Kaede began teaching her in the ways of water-bending when she was nine years of age, Kagome had taken to it like a fish out of water.( **HaHa! Get it? 'Cause she's a water-bender, and the fish, and...ok. Back to the story)**  
Because of her age, Kaede had started Kagome out with teaching her the basics of healing, having her assist in healing the sick and injured, and even helping to deliver babes in the village. It was when Kagome was about eleven that the elderly woman began to show her the lower levels of defensive and offensive techniques. Kagome excelled quickly and became a true prodigy in the more skilled techniques by the time she was thirteen, even going as far as to have mastered some of the Mastery Levels!  
Yes, the young girl had certainly come a long way, and Kaede couldn't be more proud of her adopted granddaughter and pupil. Even so, if Kaede was correct, then Kagome still had much to learn in the days and perhaps years to come, especially with her sixteenth birthday that was approaching the next day.

"Really, Kaede? Do you really think I'm ready?" The young water-bender asked eagerly.

"Kagome, I have no doubt in my mind of what ye are capable of. If there is any water-bender in the entire South Pole who can master these techniques, it is ye," Kaede praised. Needless to say, Kagome practically wolfed down her food faster than a wild Wolf-Bat. The two women strolled through the village until they made it to the training arena. It wasn't much, being an enclosed space it was just big enough to hold about three to four full-grown Tiger-Seals. If Kagome was being honest, it looked more like an old pasture with the broken down logs used as the borders. Once they entered, master and student stood at the opposite ends of each other, staring towards each other. Kaede spoke first.

"Before we begin, ye must demonstrate to me the last couple of techniques I have shown ye in the past weeks. Ye must also name each one correctly of what the move does. Understood?" Kaede commanded, her voice taking on a more authoritative tone.

Kagome nodded, furrowing her brows in concentration as she took her stance. With that, Kaede levitated her water from the bucket beside her and shot it towards her student and said, "Now, what is the cylindrical column of ice that is sharp enough to cut an opponent when they rush you, yet is easily broken with a simple flick of ye're wrists?"  
As Kaede asked this, Kagome answer, "Ice Disc," as she took full control of the given liquid and proceeded to harden it into ice, connecting it with the snowy ground and proceeding to slide the palms of her hands along the smooth surface, shooting the thin ice discs back at her master, knowing fully well that the elder could make the transition from ice to water. She was right. The two continued to recap on the Lower-Leveled and Secondary-Leveled moves before Kaede deemed it time to work on the newer moves from the Mastery-Level.

"Be aware, child, that these next skills I am going to teach ye are very complex. It will take a great deal of balance between ye're stance, flexibility, stamina, and concentration. Are ye ready?"

Kagome nodded her head in determination, "I'm ready,"

"This move is called the Ice Dome. It acts as a offensive skill that cages and traps your opponent in a heavily made block of ice. It takes an abundant amount of water and the most important thing is to shift all of ye're weight from one arm to the next. Ye must also learn to use ye's recourses that are all around ye-" as she said that last part, she flicked her wrist slightly and summoned a small block of ice from the ground beside her and proceeded to have it evolve into water in the wrinkled palm of her hand, "such as the ground, or any form of ice ye can get ye're hands on," Kaede instructed.  
Kaede then proceeded to demonstrate the technique herself, her movements smooth and calculated. It was as though her old years had been lifted off of her as she did the motions with such grace. Kagome watched, fascinated by how swiftly the water moved in slow, smooth motions that were in sync with it's caster. Quite suddenly, her master turned sharply in her direction and shot the once calm liquid straight at her, and she watched as the water instantly morphed into ice as soon as it touched her skin! Next thing the teenager knew, she was engulfed in a barrier of ice all around her body, yet she felt no fear. She knew the routine. Kaede always enjoyed inflicting her teachings onto her student, not that Kagome minded. She knew that Kaede would never hurt her, and the two always laughed about it after words. Besides, Kagome would always come right back at Kaede with as much vigor as her mentor.

"Hahaha...very funny Master, but you forget-" Kagome then melted the Ice Dome back into it original state, and shot right back at her mentor, mirroring the elder's movements in her stance and manipulating the pure substance to surround Kaede from all directions, like a pack of hungry wolf-bats circling it's prey. With no warning, the spiral of water charged the old healer, and once they made contact to her skin, much like Kagome, the liquid turned into a solid and encased the old woman in an icy dome-like cage. Kagome smirked as she placed her hands on her hips, "-that I too know how to water-bend,"

Kaede just chuckled from inside the dome, "Well done, my pupil, but do not forget that this isn't the only trick up my sleeve for today," with that, Kaede exited the Ice Dome by melting the surrounding ice around her body until she was able to step completely out of the huge block of ice that still remained.

"Now, let us see how ye will fair mastering the Water Spout,"

The young bender just smiled happily at her teacher's challenge and prepared her stance. For the rest of the morning, teacher and student worked tirelessly at many of the higher ranking water-bending levels, going from the Water Spout to the Water Gymbal within the span of three hours. It was around noon when Kaede heaved a tired sigh, and raised her one grey eye to Kagome, who at the moment had her whole body submerged in a water-made octopus formation, the watery tentacles moving in correspondence to the flow of her arms and feet, "Impressive form, child, but ye're arms are moving far too slow. Ye must be sure to neutralize your form with ye're movement, for the two are in balance with one another, and ye must-"  
At that moment, a stone was thrown from somewhere behind the healer, and plunged itself into the Water Ocopus, hitting Kagome right on her forehead, causing her to flinch away, cutting off her formation and thus causing the ocopus to be disarmed and the water to plop to the snow-clad ground.

"Kagome!" Kaede exclaimed in shock, rushing over to the fallen girl and promptly inspecting her head for signs of blood. There was a small gash of blood above her eye where the stone had impacted, but other than that there was no injuries on the teen.

"I'm fine, Master Kaede. Really," Kagome assured the woman with a smile, before promptly standing on her feet and glaring daggers in the direction of which the rock originated and yelled, "Come out, Kaapo! I know you and your lackeys are there!"  
No sooner did she announce that, did a small group of young men come out from their place behind a small glacier not too far from the arena, snickering arrogantly. The boy at the front was the leader of the little gang, the headman's son himself, Kaapo Chen. He was cute looking, Kagome would give him that much, with his thick brown hair tied back into a wolf's tail, his jawline strong and the beginnings of a beard sprouting on his chin and jaw, the young girl couldn't deny that he had good looks. His personality, however, was a different story. He was known for being a conceited, selfish, son-of-a-bitch brat that had everything handed to him by his father. No one dared to speak such words to him though, lest they get put in charge of cleaning the animal dung in the small corral outside of the village.  
Kagome, however, was not in the least intimidated by the teen's higher-ranking status, and she expressed this to his face when he had the audacity to claim that if she was looking to get into bed with a man, than she should leave the 'real' bending to the men and go clean the laundry like the 'other' women. Needless to say, Kaapo learned not to underestimate her Water Whip by the end of their encounter. Ever since then, Kagome became his favorite victim to torment out of all the other kids and teens in the village. It also didn't help that the chief held a certain distaste for the water-bending girl, not that anyone really knew why.

"Aw, why the harsh words, Little girl? I would think you'd be happy to see me," Kaapo sneered mockingly, not in the least affected by the young girl's cold words.

Kagome bristled, "Well, I'm not. Now, if you don't mind, I'm training with my master," she snapped, turning her back to the group of young men.

The mocking smirk on the teenage boy's face faded to be replaced by an angered sneer, "Don't turn away from me, you little bitch! Get your ass out of the water and face your superiors like all women should! Oh, that's right; your no woman, but a slug-ottour!" the gang of boys burst into cruel laughter.

"Shut. Up," Kagome whispered in a deadly calm tone.

Kaapo just scoffed, "Aw, is the little water-bender's feelings hurt? Face it, bitch. The reason why you always throw yourself in your water-bending crap and chores is because you know that everyone whispers about you! How you'r so foolish and ignorant not to know your place in the village is beyond me, bu-!"

Kaapo never finished his tirade, because the next thing he knew, a blast of icy cold water shot straight in his face, taking him and two of his companions down with him, startled gasps from the rest of his posie coming from all around him. It took a moment for the world to stop spinning, but once it did, the teen looked back up to see Kagome in a bending stance, her usually soft features hardened with determination as she held his gaze unwaveringly, Kaede a short distance behind her, observing the situation with her good eye. Yanking the hands of his friends away from him when they offered to help him to his feet, Kaapo glared daggers at the petite water-bender with so much hate and resentment, it sent a shiver down the other boys's spines and they stepped back from their leader in apprehension.

"So, that's how it's gonna be, eh, bitch?" He mocked.

Kagome did not waver in her resolve, however, holding strong as she faced off against the boy who has given her so much grief in the past few years, ready to show him that he was not her superior. Of course, Kagome did not think herself above anyone else whatsoever, but that didn't mean she couldn't demonstrate a little of her skill in the art of water-bending when it counted, especially to low lives such as these boys. Water-bending was her passion, apart of who she was, and she'd be damned to be told that she couldn't practice it just because she was a girl.  
It was at that moment that Kaapo charged her, chunks of the ice beneath his feet rising with his command and forming into a hand-held Ice Spear. He cried out as if in battle as he came upon her, ready to strike. His opponent was having none of it, however, and quickly conjured an Ice Sheild just as Kaapo's weapon came down on her.

"Kagome!" Kaede cried.

"Let me handle this, Master! I've got th-Ark!" Kagome stumbled back as a small, yet sharp Ice Shard cut a shallow gash on her cheek, close to her eye. Kaapo and his gang laughed tauntingly.

"You should know by now not to be distracted in the middle of a fight, whore!" Kaapo exclaimed.

Kagome snapped all of her attention back to the task at hand, just in time to see a Water Whip coming straight at her, until it was too late to dodge. The whip slapped against her cheek, whipping her head to the side and causing her to fall backwards till she hit the ground, sliding across the ice as she went. Roaring laughter was heard as she struggled her way to her feet, the water in her hair and cloths already getting icy, numbing her to the skin.

"Ya know, bitch, I was expecting more of a challenge, but I guess I was wrong. You are nothing but a water-bending wannabe after all! You should really just stick with cooking and cleaning!"

As he proclaimed this, Kaapo launched an Ice-Blade at Kagome's back, but she was ready. Whirling around with the grace of a swan-turtle, the teenage girl caught the ice-infused weapon with one hand that was mere centimeters from her face, her expression deadpan and unblinking, yet calculating all the same. Everyone froze for a split second, not understanding the unresponsive water-bender's abrupt change in demeanor until it was too late.  
With a crack, Kagome split the blade in half with her white-knuckled fist, then she charged, water coming up to incase her arms as she pounced in the air, a new fire kindling in her stormy-blue eyes! Unprepared for the sudden burst of stamina from such a petite body, Kaapo scrambled to erect a barrior, but Kagome saw this coming and pointed her left leg, her heel down, and came crashing through the protective barrior that Kaapo managed to just barely put up and, in the process, kicked the boy's face with the bottom of her boot, his head snapping back by the force and even a spew of crimson blood coming out of his nose from where her heel made contact with it.  
Before Kaapo could clapse to the unforgiving ground in a heap, cold water enclosed around his entire body, save for his head, and tossed him in the air, leaving him suspended by the water's grip. The water froze, starting from the base at the bottom and creeping upward until it stopped at his shoulders. Kagome had delivered an Ice-Dome, and Kaapo was the unfortunate receiver.

Kagome relaxed her muscles as she stood to her full height, looking up at her defeated opponent with a satisfied gleam in her eyes, Kagome nodded her head in a slight bow.

"I hope now we can put this feud behind us, Kaapo. I'll respect you, as long as you respect me," was all she said.

With that, Kagome moved her left palm until it was flat and facing the ground, and lowered it closer downward. The ice keeping the whimpering Kaapo captive dissolved back into water, and began to move downward just as it's mistress's palm commanded it, gently placing it's former prisoner on the icy surface of which they stood until he sat on his bottom, heaving for breath as he stared off into nothing for a moment.

" _I was...defeated? Defeated by a...woman_?" kept running through his head.

It was only when a lightly tanned, small hand reached out to offer him help up that the defeated teen came back to reality. Glancing upward, he saw Kagome looking down at him, the sun behind her bathing her in golden light, and for a split second, Kaapo thought he saw her transform into another woman. The woman was clothed in nomadic Air-Temple attire, including heavy armor with a sword strapped to her hip, long, luscious black hair, and arrow tattoos adorning the back of her hands and the top of her forehead. The way the woman looked at him gave off the impression that she was wise and powerful, a person capable of great strength and destruction if shown disrespect, yet her eyes were soft and tired, as though she carried the weight of the world on her shoulders for longer than a single person could bear. Perhaps she did. Kaapo blinked and the image of the strange woman was broken, Kagome once again in her place, her hand still extended out to him, but her face showed wariness and confusion at his prolonged staring.

"Uh...Is there buffalo snot covering my face, or are you still disoriented?" the young girl questioned, wondering if she kicked him a little too hard with her boot.

Snapping out of his stupor at her voice, Kaapo swatted her hand away as if it would burn him if he touched it, and struggled to his feet, his broken nose still bleeding profusely, going as far as running over his mouth and chin. Glaring accusingly at the girl before him, Kaapo sneered, ignoring the pain in his face as he leered at Kagome.

"Don't think this is over, you little bitch, 'cause when my father hears about this, he'll have you regretting the day you were born! And don't think your little illusions will scare me, witch! I'll make sure that you pay for what you've done to me, and not even your 'esteemed' mentor will be able to save you this time!"

Even though it was clear that his bloody nose stuffed up much of his threat, Kagome could hear him loud and clear, and as her rival and his gang scuttled away until they were out of view, Kagome was left feeling exhausted, outraged, and confused.

"Come, child. Let's clean up that wound on ye're forehead. I suspect ye are done with training today," Kaede, who had witnessed the full exchange, urged, gently grabbing her student's arm and leading her away from the now peaceful arena.

Kagome didn't respond back, but did follow obediently after her master as she was herded away from the sight of her victory, her mind elsewhere.

" _Illusion...? What did Kaapo mean by an illusion...?"_ was all the young bender thought, forgetting about her victory and the stinging pain from her forehead all together.

Amongst her jumbled thoughts, a small voice in the back of Kagome's head told her that she should know exactly what Kaapo was talking about.

She didn't.

"OW!" Kagome exclaimed, the cool cloth pressing into her wound, causing a wave of stinging pain to shoot through her already aching head.

"Calm thyself, child. Ye must hold still until I can clean ye're wound properly," Kaede calmly chided, dunking the wet cloth back into the bucket of water to cleanse the remnants of blood off of it, before bringing it back to the teen's forehead once more. The gash from where Kaapo hit it with the rock wasn't anything serious, but it still hurt like hell whenever pressure was applied to it, no matter how minimal.

Kagome winced at the touch of the cloth, but complied to her master's gentle command, holding still and uttering a small whimper at the sting that coursed through her head. This continued for a few more minutes before the blood no longer leaked sluggishly from the gash and Kaede wrapped a bandage around her forehead.

"There. Now, maybe next time, ye will know not to engage that boy into a fight," Kaede said, a bit of anger leaking from her tone.

Kagome turned to her guardian, not understanding the underlining anger in her voice.

"What do you mean I shouldn't have engaged him? He was the one who threw a rock at me and then started harassing me on how I shouldn't bend because of my gender!" the girl defended, her own outrage from earlier and from her mentor's own advise bubbling back up to the surface. Kagome was thrown for a loop when the elder spun around and pinned her with an angered, yet concerned glare that would have made Hell freeze over.

"The problem, Kagome, was that ye lost ye're temper and allowed ye're resentment towards Kaapo cloud ye're judgment, even though ye knew of the consequences!" by the end of her tirade, Kaede was almost yelling.

"Oh, so your saying I should have just sat there and let him degrade me and tell me that I'm only good for cleaning his nasty socks like the 'obedient' little girl I'm supposed to be? That I should have just let him call me a bitch and a whore without any kind of fight? That I should have just let him and his gang claim that I shouldn't be allowed to water-bend, something that's **_apart of who I am_** , all because I happen to be born a **_girl_**!? Is _that_ what your telling me, Kaede?!" Kagome exclaimed, pacing around the healing hut, her voice in hysterics, her pent up frustration reaching a boiling point.

Kaede watched her student with abashed shock at the young woman's pacing form, not even sure if Kagome was addressing her anymore. She supposed that the fifteen-year-old was letting out all of the suppressed emotions from recent months and even years due to Kaapo's constant bullying, as well as the whispers that the younger bender had heard from the rest of the village about herself being 'an oddity' or a 'strange girl that was best to keep away from'. Kaede had heard of the whispers, and had done all she could to shield her adoptive-granddaughter from them, but she supposed it was useless; Kagome had always been an observant child from a young age, wanting to learn new things and always tuned into her surroundings, so it was only natural that Kagome find out about the talk and gossip that goes on around the tribe, if not sooner, then definitely later.

"Kagome..." Kaede said.

"That I'm not good enough to learn the higher-leveled bending skills because it's 'not proper' for a girl to learn how to fight, or-"

" ** _Kagome!"_**

 ** _"What!?"_**

Silence followed, only broken by the crackling of the nearby fire as the two women, master and student, glared at each other, waiting for the other to crack under the pressure, yet neither of them were willing to back down. This stretched on for minutes, the two water-benders stubbornly staring each other down, until finally, Kaede sighed and slumped, her old bones sagging in weariness. Sensing that the thick atmosphere was cooling down, Kagome too began to slump, hanging her head down in shame for not only losing her temper and going into hysterics, but for also yelling and disrespecting her master, the woman who raised her from birth and who treated her like a granddaughter.

"I-I'm sorry, Master...I-I didn't mean-"

"No, Kagome. It is I who should be sorry. I understand why ye did what ye did to Kaapo, and if I'm being honest, I would prefer ye to stand up for ye're self rather than take it laying down, it's just that..." Kaede trailed off.

"Just what, Master Kaede?" Kagome urged gently.

"It's just that Kaapo has a lot of ground to stand on, him being the chieftain's son, and the way ye used ye're bending to not only defeat him, but also to break his nose, can call for severe punishment, and I don't know if I'll be able to get ye out of trouble for it,"

Kagome plopped onto her cot, her hands over her mouth, crystal-blue eyes tearing up. Kaede went over and sat next to Kagome, her wrinkled hand moving a lock of black hair away from the girl's face, giving her a clear view of the tears pooling down her soft cheeks.

"O-oh m-my God...y-your right," Kagome stuttered.

"I wish I wasn't," Kaede answered.

Kagome sucked in a deep breath and shakily stood to her feet, clenching and unclenching her hands into fists, until finally, Kagome's posture sagged defeatedly, "I...I'm gonna go and...take Buyo out for a ride. I'll be back by dinner..." with that, Kagome ran out of the dwelling, her tears falling behind her due to her speed, leaving the hut and Kaede behind.

A few bystander's stopped momentarily in their daily chores to watch as the young water-bender sprinted pass them, some looking on in concern and sympathy, others looking on in distaste and wariness. That's when she heard the whispers.

"Look at her forehead, you think she's alright?"

"Did you hear about what happened this morning? I heard that she and Kaapo got into a water-bending fight!"

"Yeah, I heard she broke his nose,"

"I reckon she'll be banished by tomorrow afternoon,"

"Mamma, isn't that the girl that broke that boy's nose?"

"Yes, and I don't want you anywhere near her, Tomoe. Who knows what else a strange girl like her is capable of,"

Kagome choked back a sob as the whispers reached her ears, and it was all she could do to not break down right then and there. She didn't stop or falter, even when she was well out of the village and could no longer hear the whispers, sprinting her way to the animal stockades that were a little ways from the training arena. Flinging the wooden door open and rushing over to Buyo's section, Kagome flung herself into her animal friend's fury coat, the large three-tailed feline not even flinching from his mistress's sudden appearance.

"S-sorry, pal. I-I just need a friend, right now," Kagome explained, knowing that her companion would understand even if he couldn't respond back. As she knew he would, Buyo hummed and meowed, licking away Kagome's tears with his large tongue, bringing forth a small giggle from the teenager.

Buyo was a Three-Tailed Ice-Cat demon whose kind could only be found in the North and South Poles, yet were hard to come across and even harder to tame. Usually, Ice-Cats were pure white like Polar-Bear-Dogs, but instead of having such a plain coat, Buyo had different patterns in colors of black, light brown, and reddish-brown as well, making him look like a calico cat. Kagome had discovered him in the midst of a blizzard. The poor thing was nothing more but a kitten at the time and was unfortunate enough to get caught right in the worst of the storm, hungry, cold, and barely alive. Predictably, the three-tailed kitten couldn't withstand the strain in his little body and he collapsed to the snowy ground in a heap, meowing weakly, desperate for somebody to rescue him. He was already half-way buried in the snow when a ten-year-old Kagome happened upon him. She had heard the meowed pleas and unwilling to leave an animal so weak and desperate to die by Death's icy hands, sneaked out of the hut while Kaede slept with her hood up and a small lantern in hand. Kagome had walked for about a mile before she literally stumbled into a lump in the snow. A weak meow had sounded from underneath the lump and Kagome was immediately put into action, digging and pawing through the thick blanket of white snow until she found the half-dead Ice-Cat on the ground. The little girl had gasped and scooped up the kitten and rushed back to the hut, bursting into the dwelling and demanding Kaede to wake up and save the little creature nestled in her arms, his limbs frozen. Kaede was shocked, but immediately set to work by warming the hut with a fire and a blanket for the kitten, in which Kagome hastily used to wrap around the frozen cat and placed him in front of the roaring flames.

Kagome had continued to stay up that night, keeping the fire going, wrapping her own blanket around the feline for an extra layer for him, and rubbing the cat demon's sides and back in order to create friction to warm him. When it was morning, Kagome and Kaede were able to get the kitten to eat some food and water, and by the afternoon, he was back to normal. Kagome begged and pleaded with her mentor to allow her to keep the cat. Said cat seemed to be just as persistent in staying with the human that saved his life, perching himself onto his savior's shoulder and giving the elder the biggest puppy-dog, or in that case, kitty-cat eyes he could muster. Kagome mirrored his action with the addition of a pouty lip, and eventually, Kaede relented. From that point on, the two were best friends, Kagome naming the kitten Buyo.

Coming back to the present, Kagome felt Buyo shift and moved away to give him room to stand up on all fours. The demon cat hummed expectantly, and Kagome chuckled a little, knowing exactly what her best friend wanted.

"Alright, alright, boy, here ya go," as she said this, Kagome pulled out a dead fish the size of her palm out of her pocket and tossed it to the three-tailed demon, Buyo catching the slimy treat in his mouth, his large tusks and sharpened teeth chomping on the fish in satisfaction, his pink tongue coming out to lick the residue off of his fury lips. The cat burped, unashamed even as his female companion grimaced and covered her nose as she waved her hand side-to-side in a shooing manner.

"Ugh, Buyo! That's disgusting!" she exclaimed.

Buyo looked as unapologetic as ever and if Kagome wasn't mistaking, she could have sworn that she saw a self-satisfied smirk across the cat's lips. Rolling her eyes at the obvious show of mischief from her over-sized cat, Kagome grabbed the black and blue loose bridal from it's hanger and approached her friend, placing the bit in his mouth and swinging her leg over his back. Kagome knew how much Buyo hated the saddles they'd seen men from the village use on their animals and didn't want to restrict her cat's movements by the leathery-padding. Not to mention the fact that Kagome found the seating highly uncomfortable to sit in and preferred the free feeling she got when she rode bear-back; it made her feel more attuned with Buyo's movements.

"Come on, pal. Let's go for a run; I need to get away for a bit,"

No more words were needed as Buyo bolted out of his stall, kicking up specks of snow as his claws scrapped up against the ground when his large paws lifted up in front and behind him. The freezing wind sped past them in a familiar, yet exhilarating sensation that never failed to leave Kagome breathless. The fifteen-year-old closed her eyes as they rode on, savoring the chill that swept through her hair for what she felt like was the last time, at least for a long time. The human and ice-demon continued to trek through the open areas of the South Pole, leaving behind their troubles if only for the afternoon as they became one with the high glaciers and the majestic, yet dangerous land they have come to call home.

Hours later, Kagome and Buyo sat facing a small watering pool, a waddle of four-flippered penguins amongst them. The sun was getting ready to set, yet Kagome was in no rush to head back to the village. Buyo, in his smaller form, rested in her lap, pawing at the three feathers that laid upon the girl's chest by her fuzzy winter coat. Kagome absentminded scratched the small cat's chubby belly, initiating a low purring sound from her demon companion. The young water-bender gazed unseeingly around the vicinity, trying to memorize the tranquil view to memory, considering that it might be the last peaceful visage of her homeland that she would see. The truth of that reality brought forth the bitter feelings from earlier once again to the forefront of her mind. A sad chuckle made it's way pass the teen's lips.

"I've really have done it now, huh, Buyo?" Kagome rhetorically asked, not really speaking to her cat, or anyone for that matter.

"Meow!" was her answer, as if the miniature demon in her lap was agreeing with her.

"I just-I couldn't take it anymore, ya know? Kaapo has always been a jerk, even before we started bending, and I just had to show him that I was strong. That I wasn't just some submissive little girl that was going to be pushed around!"

"Meow!"

"And it's not just him! I know that the villagers talk about me when they don't think I can hear, saying on how I'm strange and improper for doing bending that isn't just healing, but the type that the so-called 'men' can only do!"

By that point, Kagome had lifted the feline up from under his front legs until he was eye level with the girl. Kagome sighed tiredly.

"Is there something wrong with me, Buyo?" Kagome asked, a sad glint in her blue eyes as she looked at her friend.

"Meow," was all Buyo could say, leaning forward and nuzzling his mistress's nose with his own, licking the tip of it as the only act of comfort he could give at the moment. Luckily, it was all Kagome needed, as she then snuggled the small Ice-Cat to her chest in a warm hug, Kagome rubbing her cheek against the soft fur of Buyo's neck.

"Hm, thanks, pal. At least I know I'll always have you whenever I need a friend," Kagome concluded affectionately, to which Buyo hummed contently in his friend's arms. the two sat like that for a few peaceful seconds, basking in the heartwarming moment that promised everlasting loyalty and companionship to girl and demon for years to come.  
It was at that moment, that something peculiar appeared into Kagome's line of vision. Looking across the pond, the water-bender spotted a hole protruding from the large glacier across from where she sat. That wasn't the weird part; the weird part was the small, shining light from within the cave. The light was pure, with a hint of pink shining along with the white of it. Now, normally, Kagome would just assume that the light was a reflection from the sun or something, but the sun was already half-way set by that point, and something felt...off with the light in the cave.

 _"Follow the light..."_ came a voice.

 _"W-what?"_ Kagome thought, not expecting the sudden feminine voice.

 _"Follow the light..."_ the voice repeated, more clearly this time.

It was only then that Kagome realized that the voice was not in her head at all, but was originating from the cave, or more accurately, the light that still shined from inside it. Kagome knew she needed to heed the voice's call. Breaking away from the hug with her companion, Kagome looked into Buyo's green eyes with resolve.

"Buyo, I don't know what's going on, but I need you to transform and help me get over to that cave over there, see?" Kagome pointed in the direction across the pond, Buyo following the direction of her finger, understanding immediately, "You think you can do that, pal?" Kagome asked. Buyo turned his head back to Kagome and nodded. With that, the young woman placed her best friend on his paws and the Three-Tailed Ice-Cat changed in a flurry of ice and snow back into his more intimidating form, Kagome hastily attaching his bridal around his snout and climbing on.

 _"Follow the light..."_

"Come on, pal, let's go!" Kagome commanded, not even having to move the bridal before Buyo was off. When they got to the edge of the water, the Ice-Cat didn't even falter, continuing onward. As his paws made contact with the clear surface, the water instantly hardened beneath him into solid ice that was thick enough to support his weight, even with the precious cargo riding on his back. One of an Ice-Cat's special skills were being able to turn any surface they wished into clear, solid, and strong ice.  
The two continued onward as they made their way across the pond, getting closer to the other side with each step. All the while, Kagome focused on the soft voice that only got louder the closer they approached.

 _"Follow the light..."_

"I am,"

was her subconscious answer.

At last, they landed securely on the other side, the light from the cave more pronounced now that the two companions were closer. Kagome hopped off of Buyo's broad back, her left hand remaining flat against his side, as she stared at the light in the cave.

 _"Follow the light..."_

The young water-bender gulped, but trekked into the entrance of the cave, her feline friend following faithfully behind her. Upon entering, Kagome and Buyo followed the path through a wide, rounded space, their steps echoing off the walls. Looking up, Kagome found that there were spiked icicles hanging directly over them, only adding to the eerily quiet cave. Demon and girl continued through the path for about twenty minutes, following the pure light just as the voice instructed. Kagome was just about ready to turn back, when an opening was finally made, the source of the strange light so close in their grasp. What they saw when they reached the mouth of the opening, stopped Kagome dead in her tracks.  
What Kagome originally assumed to be a dead end, was instead a large, spacious cavern, ice forming the walls just like the pathway that led them to the strange new area. By this time, the sky had given way to night, yet the cavern was lit up by the moonlight that was able to sneak it's way through the clear icy walls, as well as a few holes within the ice that acted as windows. However, that was not what left the teenager in awe of the place.

It was the thousands upon thousands of crystalized statues that lined the walls and platforms of the icy walls, reaching all the way up to the ceiling of the cavern, which in and of itself was massive. Each statue was entirely made of ice and carved completely smooth with distinct proportions and features that seemed impossible to engrave into such a solid, yet breakable substance. Kagome walked forward as she scoured the room, taking in the impressive sculptures of both men and women, old and young, with an almost child-like curiosity. The soon-to-be sixteen-year-old found it odd on how many of the statues were wearing cloths that were not native to either of the North or South Poles, but were instead cloths from four of the five nations. Some were from the Fire Nation, the Earth Kingdom, the Water Tribes, and the Air Nomads, but none of them were from the Demon Empire, where most demons resided. Having Kaede as a mentor resulted in many over-night lessons not only about the culture of the Water Tribes, but also about the cultures of the other countries and their people. When the seven-year-old Kagome had asked why she needed to learn about the other nations, the old women simply responded with,

 _"Learning of the world we share with others shall grant us better understandings of it's secret treasures. It is when we turn a blind eye from this world that we truly wallow in our ignorance,"_ was Kaede's reply.

Looking at a row of statues, Kagome began to notice a pattern that the statues seemed to replicate continuously; water, earth, fire, and air. This cycle repeated onward in the same way.

"That's strange..." Kagome mumbled to herself.

A nearby meow broke the teen out of her musings, and she looked in the direction of where she heard Buyo's call only to freeze as stiff and still as the statues she was observing. There, right where Buyo was facing, was the light, although it seemed much less profound. However, it wasn't the light that caught the girl's eye; it was the statue of which the light originated from. The statue was a woman.

 _"I-impossible...!"_ was her silent thought.

The ice statue was of a woman wearing nomadic Air-Temple garb, with ancient armor and a sword slung at her left hip. Arrow tattoos were engraved onto her forehead and hands, and even though the whole thing was entirely made of ice, Kagome could tell that the woman had long hair flowing down her icy back. Kagome wouldn't have thought anything of the statue, if it weren't for the fact that it depicted the image of the woman from her dream, **_perfectly_**.

" _H-how is t-that possible? I had never seen t-that woman until my d-dream from l-last night! How...?"_

 _"Touch the light..."_ came the voice once more.

Not even realizing it, Kagome began making her way towards Buyo and the statue, which was in the very center of the room, as well as the last statue out of the others. Before she knew it, the teenager was standing right in front of the woman's statue. Because it was standing atop a platform, Kagome had to look up slightly to see the woman's face, and as she looked into the statues iced-glazed eyes, she got the inkling feeling that those eyes were staring right back at her. Then, the voice came back.

 _"Touch the light..."_

Kagome felt her gaze being drawn downward, and as her blue eyes went down, they made contact with the light that had led her on her path to begin with. Except it wasn't a light at all! Instead it was a white, slightly pink, jewel. Half of it was missing, yet it still shone with reflected light, though not nearly as bright as it once was. It was attached by a simple string that hung from the statues neck to the breast plate of the sculpted armor. Along with the jewel were small teeth that were also connected to the the string. Kagome's hand slowly started raising to the jewel.

 _"Touch it..."_

Her hand was so close to it now, only three inches away.

 _"Touch it..."_

Kagome was in a trance. She didn't notice when a unexplainable wind started picking up, or when the eyes of the statues began to flicker with spiritual blue lights, or even when soft chanting echoed within the cavern.

 _"Touch it..."_

Buyo started fidgeting, panic taking over him, his instincts screaming at him to grab his mistress and bolt out of there. The feeling only grew when he started seeing the same glowing blue from the statues flicker in his companion's own eyes.

 _"Touch it..."_

Finally, Kagome's hand made contact with the broken jewel, and as it did, it was as though an explosion of intense energy shot through her system, as her eyes burst into a blue glow, her ebony hair shooting back and flowing in a nonexistent gust of wind! At the same time this happened, all the eyes of the statues exploded in an array of light as well, startling Buyo and illuminating the entire cavern in a rich, vibrant display so brilliant, it made the cavern look as though it were in broad daylight. The Ice-Cat yowled to his friend in a panic, trying to reach her and snap her out of her trance, but it was like his paws were glued to the floor; Buyo could not move. The chaos around them continued, unhindered.

"Hello? Anybody there!?"

Kagome had no idea where she was; one moment she was in the cavern with Buyo, and now she was in a white void of nothingness. The young water-bender walked on, confused and even a little scared, not knowing where she was going or who she was calling out too. All she knew was that despite the seemingly empty abyss around her, she was not alone. The presence was not foreboding or menacing, but the prospect of being alone with an unseen entity was unsettling nonetheless. Kagome called again.

"Hello! Is there anybody else here with me!?"

Again, there was no response.

Kagome sighed in resignation, "Great, I must be going crazy..."

 _"You are not going crazy, young one..."_ spoke a voice.

Kagome jumped at the sudden voice, causing it to laugh softly at her reaction. the teen immediately recognized the voice as the one from earlier.

"So I'm not alone...Who are you? Show yourself!" Kagome demanded. Another moment of silence occurred, until...

 _"Very well..."_

Not a second later, a figure manifested a few feet in front of the girl, her form transparent at first, but became more solid as she approached the dumbfounded teen. By the time the woman was fully solid, she stood right in front of Kagome. Said teen was paralyzed in place, her mind running a mile a minute as she took in the appearance of the woman before her. The figure was clad in Air-Temple robes with armor, arrow tattoos, long, black hair, and eyes so tired and wise, just like the woman from her...from her...

"Your the same woman from my dream! A-and t-that statue...!"

The older woman chuckled, amused, _"Yes, child. It was I who sought you out in your slumbers, just as it was I who was immortalized in that ice statue..."_

"Who are you? And how did I get here?"

 _"I am known as Avatar Midoriko, and you were brought here because of that jewel in the palm of your hand..."_ Midoriko pointed to Kagome's closed fist, where a soft glow leaked from the openings between the girl's closed fingers.

Confused, Kagome raised her fist, finally taking notice of the slight weight on the inside of her hand. Sure enough, once she opened her fist, there laid the broken jewel, it's light glow shining innocently on her palm. Kagome sputtered, unsettled at the idea that the jewel brought her to such a strange place.

"B-but...How?" she asked.

 _"When you touched it, the jewel summoned you to this place in order for you to learn the truth...The truth about your destiny!"_

Kagome stared at Midoriko for a long moment, taking in the words she had just spoken to her. Midoriko was the Avatar? Destiny? What destiny? And why, if what the woman said was true, would an Avatar come seeking her out of all people? She wasn't anything special! Sure, she might know a few High-Level bending tricks here and there, but that was nothing compared to what an Avatar was capable of! And why the heck would a jewel summon her anyway? This **had** to be a dream. It was the only logical explanation!

"I-I'm dreaming...I-I fell asleep while out with Buyo, and now the cold and stress is affecting my mind..." Kagome spoke to herself softly, pinching herself and shaking her head rapidly in order to wake up from her supposed 'dream'.

However, two soft hands cupped her face, halting her head from it's vigorous movements. Looking at Midoriko, she watched as a serious and concerned frown marred the Avatar's face, a grim look in her eyes.

 _"This is no dream, Kagome. It is important for you to believe in what I am about to tell you. Do you understand?"_

Kagome simply nodded. Midoriko retracted her hands as she stood straight with an air of authority.

 _"As I just said, this is not a dream. Physically, you are still in the cavern that you and your companion ventured into, but your spirit has temporarily left your body in order for you to be brought here,"_

Kagome nodded in understanding, "Okay, so uh...Where exactly **is** here?"

The Avatar smiled kindly, _"It is customary for the previous Avatar to meet their successor within the Avatar State on the night before their sixteenth birthday,"_

There was nothing but silence after that as Kagome stared at the Avatar before her, her mouth agape and her disbelieving eyes as big as saucers. Her brain tried to process the words just spoken. She...was the new Avatar? Her? Kagome Higurashi? The village oddity and outcast was the...Avatar? She wanted to believe this was a dream. A trick that someone was pulling on her, but somewhere in her heart, Kagome knew that it was the truth. How she knew she couldn't say, but there was something deep within her that felt a sense of familiarity as she looked at Midoriko and the jewel. Still, that didn't mean she had to buy into it...yet.

"How do I know this isn't a trick? What if this a prank or something one of Kaapo's lackeys decided to pull for revenge?"

Modoriko frowned, but remained patient.

 _"You do not believe me? That you are not who I claim?"_

Kagome shook her head, sadly, "I-I don't know...I just don't know, if this is real, if I'm even worthy of something like that. Sure, I'm good at water-bending, but I'm not even sure if I could be that good..."

A hand took hold of the jewel in Kagome's hand and raised it by the string until it was at eye-level with the girl.

 _"Do you see this jewel, Kagome?"_ Midoriko asked. Kagome nodded.

" _When you heard my voice and saw the light that shines from this jewel, that was all the confirmation you needed to knowing who you are...who you have always been,"_

The teen still didn't understand.

"But...How? How can a jewel determine who I am?"

 _"The jewel's light is invisible to all but one...The one who has the power of the four elements. Only an Avatar can see this invisible glow and seek it out. It is only an Avatar who can hear my voice and have the courage to listen..."_

Suddenly, the whiteness of their surroundings evaporated away, and Kagome and Midoriko were standing in the cavern once more. Kagome was shell-shocked when she saw...herself, but with blue light streaming out of her eyes with the wind around her swirling uncontrollably. Hearing a panicked yowl from beside her, Kagome turned her head to see Buyo, frozen in place and unable to move, trying his best to get to Kagome's body. Kagome felt a pang in her chest at the sight of her beloved cat, and reached out to touch him...only for her hand to go straight through him. It was only then that the young girl realized that her arm, including her skin, was all blue and transparent. Looking down at herself, Kagome found that her entire body was indeed a transparent blue as well. The water-bender turned to Midoriko.

"What's happened to me!?" she asked, panicked.

 _"This is what is going on as we speak...in the physical world. Right now, your body is in the Avatar State, allowing your spirit to communicate with me, and also why the eyes of all the statues are glowing as well..."_

"So...your telling me...that all of these people...are Avatars...?"

 _"Yes. They were once who you were...in previous lives,"_

At that point, it all finally started to sink in. The proof was right in front of her, and Kagome could no longer deny it, "This is all real...isn't it?" Kagome asked, already knowing the answer.

 _"Yes, and it is imperative that you begin learning the remaining three elements as soon as dawn breaks through the horizon. Or else the future of bending could be jeopardized for eternity..."_

That did not sound good. Not one bit.

"What do you mean?"

The deceased Avatar raised up the jewel once more, indicating it's purpose.

 _"This jewel is known as the Jewel of Water, but as you can see, it has been split in half,"_

"What happened to it?"

 _"When I was alive, a darkness swept over the land in a way I could never have foreseen. No one knows where the darkness came from, or who summoned it. All anybody knew was that not long after it spread, the Elementals began to split apart and break away from each other."_

Kagome's mind flashed back to her dream when Midoriko mentioned Elementals for the first time.

"You mentioned something about the Elementals from my dream. What are they?" she asked, urgently.

 _"According to legend, even before the time of the Avatar, the Elementals were the objects that kept the balance of all four elements. It is said that the moon and ocean spirits combined their forces to create this jewel,"_ Midoriko pointed to the jewel _, "and brought it down to earth to help manipulate the water, snow, and ice, thus making this the Jewel of Water. As for the other Elementals, those were thought to be the sources where the dragons, badger-moles, and sky-bison learned to bend. I was only able to find the shards of this jewel before the darkness disposed of me as well..."_ Kagome gulped at that last part.

 _"That darkness is still spreading, and it will not rest before it finds and takes control of all the Elementals, and if it succeeds, God help us all..."_ Midoriko fixed Kagome with a deadly serious stare, and Kagome could feel her nerves spike tenfold, _"We are in need of you, Avatar Kagome..."_

 _ **To be Continued...**_


	3. Chapter Two: Water Meets Fire

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own "InuYasha" or 'Avatar: The Last Airbender". InuYasha characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi and ATLA belongs to Nickelodion.

 **WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS CUSSING!**

 **AGES:**

 **Kagome: 16**

 **InuYasha: 19**

 ***In this story, InuYasha is not 200 years old, he lives at the rate of human years***

 **Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Romance, Drama, and Friendship.**

 **Rating: T (Teen)**

 **A/N: I'd like to start off by saying Thank You to all of you who have read my first 2 chapters, and that everyone's favorite dog-boy is FINALLY being introduced to the story! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and remember leave a comment! Constructive criticism is always welcomed!**

* * *

 **Book One: The Jewel of Water**

 **Chapter Two: Water Meets Fire**

Kagome and Buyo raced across the frozen land that was the South Pole with great haste. Clutched in the water-bender's fist rested the Jewel of Water, given to her by the long-since deceased Avatar Midoriko only moments before. Shortly after Midoriko's spirit dropped the bomb that Kagome was the next Avatar, the entity had thrust the half-broken jewel into Kagome's still blue and transparent hands and insisted that Kagome's duty, as the next Avatar, was to go search for the remaining pieces of the jewel as soon as dawn broke over the horizon, and to begin mastering the other elements as she continued through her quest. Before Kagome could ask anymore questions, Midoriko's spirit evaporated and the teen was sucked out of the Avatar State like a vacuum and was thrust back into her body. Not a second after that, Buyo was at her side, scooping up her petite body onto his back and dashing out of there like no tomorrow. Abruptly broken from her thoughts at a particular rough jump made by her demon cat, Kagome finally came back to the present when she registered the steadily approaching dwellings of the Southern Water Tribe. The first dwelling just so happened to be the one where she and Kaede lived.

Squinting her sky-blue eyes slightly, Kagome could just barely make out the outline of a hunched-over body pacing the outside of the entrance and cringed when she realized she didn't make it back by dinner like she promised.

Kaede was just about ready send out a search party when her one good eye spotted an incoming speck coming closer in the distance. Relief washed over the elder as her shoulders sagged, before her features turned stoic and her lips formed a grim line once the girl and her companion moved closer. When Kagome got about ten feet away from her gaurdian, she had the good graces to look sheepish by awkwardly scratching the back of her neck as she laughed nervously.

"Er...Hi, Master Kaede. Uh...How was dinner...?" was the young woman's hesitant greeting.

Kaede was having none of it.

"Kagome Higurashi. What. Is. The. Meaning. Of. This,"

Kagome flinched at the underlining anger in each word, mentally preparing herself for the incoming blow-out that was about to commence.

"Um...Well you see, I uh...There was this light in a cave and I-" a wrinkled hand rose in a silencing motion and immediately the water-bender stilled her words.

Kaede threw the teen a stern grimace before slowly making her way towards the duo and stopping once she reached Buyo's left side to stare up at her pupil. Swallowing the lump at her mentor's furrowed brows, Kagome was shocked when the older woman moved her gaze down to her closed fist, took the appendage into her hands, unclasped it, and picked up the softly glowing jewel. For a moment, the teen watched as various emotions crossed through her adoptive-grandmother's one good eye with bated breath. First, came confusion, then realization, until finally a regretful acceptance claimed homage to Kaede's features as she stared at the half-completed jewel. After what felt like an eternity, Kaede looked back up at her student and sighed, gesturing with her unoccupied hand for Kagome and Buyo to go inside the dwelling. Confused, the two friends obeyed and entered the warm home, Kagome settling down while Buyo transformed into his smaller form and situating himself on his mistress's lap.

Not a minute later, the old healer re-entered her home and sat across from Kagome. The two women stared at each other from across the fire before Kaede held up the jewel by the string.

"Where did ye receive this, Kagome?" she asked.

Still unnerved, Kagome responded with, "In a...In a cave...a little ways from here,"

Kaede hummed, not looking at the girl as she adjusted the wood in the fire with a metal rod.

"It was the cave with all of those statues of past Avatars, I presume?" was Kaede's reply, her tone knowing and straight to the point.

Kagome's mouth dropped and Buyo perked up his ears in surprise. Kagome jumped to her feet, startling the demon cat and pointing an accusing finger at her guardian with a comical expression plastered on her face.

"HOW THE HELL DO **_YOU_** KNOW ABOUT IT!?" Kagome winced at the utterly disrespectful tone, but was thrown for a loop when her master simply chuckled.

"I know, child, because I was the one who put it there,"

Again, the young water-bender couldn't keep the dumbfounded look off of her face, trying to understand what the heck was happening.

"But I-you-and the cave...what?" was her stuttered reply.

laughing softly once more, Kaede got up and navigated through their living space to retrieve various foods and meat, fur skinned blankets, lighter clothing in Kagome's size, a few water-bending scrolls, and a map of all five nations.

"Ye remember the story I told ye of ye're birth, child?"

Not sure where her mentor was going with this, Kagome spoke uncertainly, "Y-Yes. My mother died soon after I was born. You told me this," Kagome couldn't stop the sorrowful hitch in her tone when she thought about her dearly departed mother, feeling melancholy at the fact that she never got to know the woman that gave her life. Scenting her sorrow, Buyo rubbed his head against his friend's boot-clad leg affectionately, to which Kagome smiled in gratitude.

"What does that have to do with anything, though?"

Kaede closed her good eye briefly, prepping her next words that would soon change their lives forever.

"There was something from that day, child, that I have kept hidden from ye for sixteen years. Now, however, I believe that ye are mature enough to understand,"

Kagome, reluctantly, nodded her head in understanding.

"I had hoped and prayed that I was wrong when I first connected the dots, but now I see it is unavoidable," Kaede continued.

the water-bender gulped.

"Ye're mother was not native to our tribe, child. And she was not from our sister tribe, either. She was brought to us in mid-labor with ye. How she came to such a dangerous region like ours in her condition I still cannot say. All I do know is that she was alone and all she had in her possession were her cloths and this very jewel," the elder turned away from her task of tying the scrolls together to hold the aforementioned object to emphasize her point. She was only greeted by silence.

The raven-haired girl couldn't breath; it was too much. Too much, too soon. It was as if her whole identity of who she was shattered right before her eyes. Her mother... _wasn't_ apart of the either of the water tribes? Did that mean that _she_ wasn't apart of them as well? If so, then... _where_ did she come from? Where was her homeland, and...where were her people, if she had any?

Unbeknownst to her, Kagome started shaking, her hands clenched into fists, her knuckles white. Buyo meowed in concern while Kaede stared at her adopted-granddaughter in sympathy. She had hoped she had been wrong the moment the girl's dying mother placed the partially completed jewel in her hand all those years ago, but fate had made it's choice, and it chose Kagome. Walking slowly over to the still shaking teen, Kaede raised the jewel over her student's head until it rested over Kagome's chest. Placing her wrinkled palm on the young girl's cheek, Kaede moved Kagome's face upward to reveal tears pooling out of the youth's crystal-blue orbs and flushed cheeks. A barely concealed sob left the girl's lips.

"I-is th-that why I-I d-don't fit i-in here? W-why the h-head-m-men a-and everybody e-else h-hates m-me...?"

Kaede didn't answer, but she didn't have to; the single tear that rolled down her own cheek was answer enough for Kagome. She had never seen her teacher cry. It just wasn't something that happened with Kaede, so seeing her strong, hard-as-stone guardian shed tears was all she needed confirm the truth; Kagome Higurashi was not one of the Southern Water Tribe. That was why she acted differently from everyone else. Why she disagreed with the limitations placed on her. That was why she was seen as an outsider in the eyes of the chief, and even the whole tribe! It was because she didn't belong there in the first place.

 _"I guess Kaapo was right..."_ Kagome thought bitterly, _"I don't know my place, 'cause my place isn't here,"_

"Kagome, I understand that ye feel betrayed that I kept this from ye, but I thought that if I kept the jewel and the truth of ye're birth hidden from ye, then perhaps..."

"Perhaps what, Master?" Kagome urged.

"Then perhaps ye wouldn't realize ye're destiny as the next Avatar, and leave the South Pole,"

Kagome's eyes stared at her master in shock at the confession.

"You-you knew?" she asked, shell-shocked.

"I had my suspicions until now. I am sorry, my dear child. For not telling ye sooner. I just..." Kaede trailed off, silently asking for Kagome to understand.

Kagome's eyes dawned in realization.

"You were worried about me. You were worried that I'd leave and then somehow get into trouble, or...or was it because you were afraid I'd leave and decide to never come back...?" she inquired, already knowing she was right.

Kaede's head lowered in shame. Not even a second later, the old woman's head snapped up when she was suddenly pulled into a warm embrace by her student, immediately wrapping her own arms around the girl and hugged her for all she was worth.

"Oh, Master...Can't you see? It doesn't matter how far I am or where I go. It doesn't matter if I am the next Avatar. It doesn't matter if I find my homeland or not because, to me, I will always come back to you. You were the one that raised me. You were the one who taught me everything I know about water-bending. It's you who accepts me for who I am and supports me in my decisions. To me, your my Master, my friend, my...grandmother. That will never change,"

The two women were full-on crying at that point, clinging to each other for comfort and understanding. Not wanting to be left out of the embrace, Buyo squeezed in-between both teacher and student and meowed, causing a mix between laughs and sobs to escape both woman's lips. Eventually, the trio broke the hug and Kaede whipped away Kagome's lingering tears with her thumb, grinning fondly at the beautiful young woman she had the honor of raising.

"Ye are correct, one again, child. I can tell ye that I couldn't be more proud to call ye my granddaughter, and I know _that_ shall never change either. You will make this dark world we live in better, even without the title of Avatar," Kaede praised, meaning every word. Kagome smiled appreciatively, but then frowned worriedly.

"I just...What if I'm not cut out for this, Master? I mean, being an Avatar is _such_ a huge responsibility and there's just so much to learn and-" a withered finger ceased her tirade.

"If there is anybody in this world that is most suited for this grand task, it is ye, child. Ye know I do not lie, Kagome. If I had _any_ doubts, I'd tell ye, but I can not think of anybody else who has enough of the skill, the spirit, or the **_heart_** like ye do for this. Yes, it will be hard. Yes, it will take time. And yes, it will be dangerous, but I have faith in ye, child, and as soon as that sun rises...your journey shall take flight," Kaede finished.

Kagome was still concerned, but Kaede's faith in her was endearing and helped to quench her doubts...for now.

"Now, off to bed with ye! Ye have a long day ahead of ye as soon as dawn comes!" Kaede pushed the teenager over to her cot, making the said teenager to giggle inspite of herself and salute good-naturedly.

"Aye, Aye, Master!"

A few hours later, just as the rays of the sun were peaking over the horizon, Kagome, Buyo, and Kaede stood outside their dwelling, Kagome's things packed and rolled up onto Buyo's large back. Kagome hugged her master tightly, knowing that they wouldn't meet again for a long while. Kaede hugged back, just as tightly.

"Are you sure you can't come with us? There's still so much I haven't learned from you yet!" Kagome asked in a hopeful tone.

Kaede shook her head.

"I'm afraid I can not make the journey with ye, child. These old bones aren't what they used to be and I am still the village healer. Besides, somebody has to explain ye're sudden disappearance once the headman come's looking for ye,"

Kagome cringed at the reminder, but nodded nonetheless.

"I understand, Master," Kagome stepped away from the hug and bowed in respect, to which Kaede bowed her head, as she could not bow properly with her hunched back.

"Be sure to keep that jewel around ye're neck at all times! Water-based demons will be able to sense it's presence from miles away," Kaede warned as Kagome hopped up onto her Ice-Cat's back.

"I will!"

"If ye head up north ye'll reach the Earth Kingdom. That would be a good place to start training while ye're searching for the shards. Try not to break any noses with ye're boot," Kaede spoke that last part in a teasing manner.

Kagome snorted, "Ha, Ha, Ha. Very funny, Kaede," was her sarcastic remark.

"Oh, and Kagome...?"

Kagome turned her head at her guardian's serious tone.

Kaede smiled softly, "Happy Birthday, child," she said.

Kagome smiled and bowed her head to her adoptive-grandmother.

"Thank you, Master Kaede. I'll make you proud!" with those final words, Kagome and Buyo took off, knowing that their lives would never be the same.

Kaede watched, her hands behind her back and a serene smile upon her face, as her granddaughter's form got smaller and smaller, until she could no longer be seen at all.

"I know ye will,"

* * *

Kagome was getting frustrated. No, scratch that. She was getting beyond angry at that point! Looking at the map of the five nations again, the water-bending teen couldn't understand what the heck she was missing. It had been a two weeks since she and Buyo left the South Pole, and they had finally reached land yesterday. It was a real relief, too; Kagome was getting tired of running across the ocean surface, courtesy of her trusty ice companion, and was just about ready to head in a different direction when she and Buyo finally spotted bamboo trees in the distance **(A/N: Okay, I don't remember if bamboo trees are even featured in ATLA, but I can't help but picture this scene with them in it, so let's just go with it.)** In a show of excitement and relief, Kagome had urged her demonic friend to high-tail it over to the piece of land as fast as he could. Buyo had no qualms about abiding his mistress's command, as he was just as ready to get off of his continuous trail of ice as her. They had spent every waking moment on the ice; eating and sleeping on top of it, which of course resulted in Kagome nearly freezing to death in her sleep, even with all the skinned furs and Buyo there to keep her warm.

Now though, it seemed that they were lost in the seemingly endless bamboo forest, and Kagome was just about ready to blow a casket. She supposed, in hindsight, it was her own fault for assuming there would be a town or village that would immediately be there to greet her, but so far she hadn't spotted any signs of civilization whatsoever! Walking beside Buyo while still glaring down at the map with the dark promise of ripping the damn thing to shreds, Kagome wasn't watching where she was going and ended up tripping over a bamboo stump in her path.

"Woah!" she exclaimed, flaring her arms around wildly for a few seconds until gravity won over and she plummeted, face first, into a puddle of mud. Pushing her upper body upwards, Kagome spit out some of the earthy substance in distaste. Looking over at the map that was still clutched in her grip, the young girl's mood only darkened when she saw mud splattered all over the nations, and that there were many rips and pieces of paper missing.

That was the last straw.

 ** _"AAAAHHHH!"_** Kagome shrieked, causing Buyo to jump back and dart away to a nearby bolder and hide, poking his head out as he witnessed his mistress let loss her pent up frustration from weeks of travel. The water-bender, needing an outlet, started tearing and ripping the already damaged map not with her hands, but with the water she took from the puddle. Slicing through the unfortunate paper with the dirty liquid, Kagome showed no mercy as she carried out her task.

"Take-" Water-Slice,"-that, you-"Water-Whip,"-stupid thing!" and she finished it off with a Water-Spear straight through the center.

Once the former map was successfully obliterated, Kagome heaved ragged breaths into her lungs as she began to calm down. Realizing what she'd just done, Kagome groaned and went to beat her head on a bamboo tree before sighing in resignation and turning to see Buyo step out of his hiding place.

"What do you say we take a break, huh, buddy?" she suggested tiredly, and Buyo readily agreed.

An hour later, the duo had just finished eating lunch and were in the process of packing up when something unexpected happened.

 ** _*BOOM!*_**

The two friends jumped, startled at the sudden explosion. Turning her head in the direction of the sound, Kagome's eyes widened in horror when she made out thick, black smoke rising over the bamboo tops. Panic overtook her being as the young woman faintly heard the cries of men coming from the same direction as the blast. Instinct took a hold of her and she knew what she had to do. Whether or not it was her Avatar senses kicking in or not, Kagome couldn't say. All she knew was that someone was in trouble and needed her help!

" _Buyo! Now!"_ she commanded.

Not wasting a second, the three-tailed cat plopped the water-bender onto his back and sprinted in the direction of the blast, determination sweeping through girl and demon like a wildfire!

When they reached their destination, Kagome's jaw dropped at the sight in the clearing. A fleet of fire-bender soldiers were in the midst of a battle with what appeared to be bandits, some human, while others were demons.

 _"Fire-benders..."_ Kagome thought in awe.

Kagome remembered when she studied the Fire Nation and it's fire-benders. She was so fascinated by the different techniques involved and on how the fire-benders learned from dragons. She remembered always wanting to meet one and trying it out for herself, but knowing that her wishes would never come to pass.

 _"Well, I suppose I_ _can_ _learn it now,"_ Kagome thought ruefully.

Jolting back to the present when Buyo pounced out of the path of an incoming fireball, Kagome came back to herself, looking to the clearing to assess the situation. Looking over to where she saw the smoke from the blast, Kagome spotted a burning shed or hut of some kind over on the right side, where Fire Nation flags hung proudly onto tents, drawing the conclusion that it was supposed to be a campsite. Assuming that the bandits came from the left direction, since it was kind of hard to tell with all the soldiers and bandits scattered around fighting each other, Kagome frantically wondered what to do. Save for a few one-on-one fights against Kaapo and his gang, Kagome had never been in an all out battle before, let alone a battle with reckless bandits and ruthless fire-benders!

Cries of agony rang out through the clearing and Kagome knew she had to interfere. She knew, that while fire-bendering soldiers were strict about not allowing outside assistance from anyone who didn't fire-bend, that they needed help, whether they liked it or not.

"Go, Buyo!"

With that, the demon Ice-Cat sprang into the air, soaring over soldiers and bandits alike. Meanwhile, Kagome materialized water from thin air to her command, the liquid swirling around her arms until the cool substance encased her arms completely. Landing in the very core of the fray, the sight of the water-bender and feline demon catching men from both sides off guard, Kagome jumped from her partner's back and with a _swoosh_ of her arms and hands, she effectively distinguished the flames from the soldiers and froze the weapons and upper bodies of the bandits. She made sure not to freeze the soldiers since they were disarmed easily by her water blast. Outraged yelps and curses were the immediate reaction.

"MY FIRE-JAB IS BURNT OUT!" screeched a bulky fire-bender in shock.

"I CAN'T MOVE MY BODY!" exclaimed a boar demon bandit.

"WHO THE HELL IS THAT WENCH!?" someone shouted.

"MOVE YER ASS OUTTA THE WAY BITCH! BEFORE WE MAKE YOU!" a bandit threatened.

Oddly enough, the water-bender wasn't intimidated in the least by the bandit's threat, and with a flick of her wrist, Kagome conjured an Ice-Block to cover his mouth, making his voice muffled through the cold element.

"Oi, what the fuck do you think your doing, wench?" an angered voice called out. Kagome turned to where it came from.

Her breath hitched in her throat.

The voice belonged to the most handsome man she'd ever seen; long, white hair pulled up in a high pony-tail, the traditional hairstyle for men in the Fire Nation, with adorable little puppy ears protruding from his scalp. His face was young, yet chiseled and hardened into a scowl. His eyes, a rich and vibrant amber color, held so much depth that Kagome could see herself getting lost in them for hours. They reminded her of fire, which was fitting considering he wielded that very element. She didn't know how she knew he was a fire-bender, but something inside her just told her he was. He wore a vibrant red robe that ended at his hips, with a black undershirt and pants. He wore boots that were slightly pointed to a curve at the toe part, but not overly so. Along the sleeves of his undershirt, were strips of gold, and Kagome couldn't help but notice the muscles his arms had. They weren't too buff, but not too skinny either. Given his distinctive features, especially with those ears, it was easy to reach the conclusion that the man was a demon, not that Kagome minded. But, man was he gorgeous! **(A/N: Go see my portrait of him over on my deviantart page to get a better visual! You all know this is dog-boy!)**

"Oi! Get your head out of the gutter, you stupid bitch, and listen when I talk to you!" ranted the walking heart-stopper.

Those angry and demanding words shattered any fantasies Kagome had and instead fueled her with unbidden outrage. How **_dare_** this man act like a complete jerk to her when she freaking just _saved_ his sorry ass when him and the rest of his comrades were getting their butts handed to them!? He should be _thanking_ her, dammit!

The young water-bender crossed her arms and huffed, "Well, _sorry_ , your _Majesty-"_ Kagome emphasized the last word in mock respect, "-but I hope you know I just freaking **_saved_** your ungrateful butt from those bandits over there!" Kagome pointed in the general direction of the said bandits.

The dog-eared demon breathed through his nose, causing two puffs of steam to flair out of his nostrils. He snarled, his fangs peeking out of his mouth, which instantly sent shivers down his comrades' spines that had nothing to do with the cold water soaking their cloths.

"Aw man, the bitch is gonna get it, now,"

"I won't be surprised if he fries her to a crisp! Right here, right now!"

"Hehehe...The wench will think twice next time she insults our great Lieutenant InuYasha!"

"I bet he'll throw a Fire-Twister at her!"

"Your on! It's a shame, though. That little ass of hers is rather enticing,"

Kagome shivered in revulsion at the last comment, while Buyo growled in warning and stepped closer to his mistress.

As for the still unresponsive lieutenant, he was busying himself by assessing the strange duo with suspicious amber eyes, taking in the way the three-tailed demon stood protectively beside the petite water-bender with mild fascination. It was also clear to InuYasha that this was the twosome's first time out of their homeland, judging by the fact that they didn't have enough sense to not interfere in a battle involving fire-bender soldiers.

 _"Only a fool jumps in the center of an on-going battle like that,"_ was the fire-bending demon's silent thought, _"The little wench is crazy, but brave. I'll give her that much, considering she had the gale to backtalk me, even though I'm a_ demon,"

He ignore the voice in the back of his head that said he was only half.

Heaving an aggravated sigh at his fleet's unnecessary and undesirable commentary over the newcomers, InuYasha snarled as he turned to face his men, golden flames manifesting in the palm of his hand warningly as he addressed the soldiers.

 ** _"SHUT IT!"_**

Without fail, all the muttered words of the soldiers ceased all together. As a matter of fact, it was as though all sound had disappeared with that swift command. The lieutenant took a calming breath before pointing to four of his nearby comrades.

"You men, go apprehend the bandits and bring them back to the ship. _DO NOT_ let them escape,"

The four men nodded and went to carry out their orders. The dog demon turned to his remaining officers.

"As for the rest of you, clean up this mess and pack up anything we can still use. We're heading back to the ship. Dismissed,"

One of the soldiers, a short man that didn't wear any headgear , pointed at Kagome and Buyo accusingly, "What're 'bout the lass an' 'er cat, boss!" he asked, his voice deep and thick.

His answer came in the form of multiple Fire-Daggers coming right for him! Gasping in terror, the soldier backed away a few paces, only for the fire-infused daggers to snag the exposed fabric underneath his armor and pin him to a nearby bamboo tree that was oddly very wide.

 **"KYYAAAHHH!"** he screamed in shock upon seeing himself pinned by daggers that were threatening to burn his skin at any moment, frantically trying to break free from the bamboo.

InuYasha stood up from his crouched position as he glared at the frantic man with boiling anger in his eyes from being questioned for his actions, "I'll handle it. _Dis-missed,_ " was his response, clearly stressing his last statement in a deadly tone. The surrounding soldiers shrunk back in fear of their lieutenant.

Someone else, however, wasn't so submissive.

"Hey! What the heck do you think your doing?!" Kagome cried in indignation as she rushed to the still pinned soldier, quickly dousing the flamed daggers with her water-bending and unpinning the poor man from the tree. Catching him in her arms, the sixteen-year-old could have sworn she heard a mumbled, "Thank You", before two other soldiers came over and looped his arms around their shoulders, carrying him off. The lieutenant scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Keh! I was teaching the fool a lesson for questioning my authority. It's beyond me why you defended him, considering his insinuation of what I intended to do to you!"

Kagome, her face red in anger, stomped her booted-feet over to the abrasive fire-bender. When she stopped in front of him, Kagome was appalled by how tall he was in comparison to her short self. Her head reached to about his chest, forcing Kagome to pull her head up in order to look directly into his face. If she had to guess, Kagome would say he was about 6'9, which was a major difference compared to her height of 5'1.

 _"I guess it's an affect of his demon blood,"_

Unperturbed despite his more intimidating stature, Kagome faced him head-on, glowering up at him and poking a forefinger in his hard chest.

"Look here, buddy! You may be a lieutenant, but your also a huge jerk who clearly doesn't give a crap about your own men! Quite frankly, it's disgusting how you treat them! I don't care who put you in your position, 'cause they clearly made a huge mistake in doing so!" the girl proclaimed, causing many shocked gasps to ring out throughout the clearing from the remaining fire-bender's who were still cleaning up.

Yet, none of them were as dumbfounded as the object of all her fury.

InuYasha stared down at the little spitfire before him, his eyes wide and his mouth slightly agape in astonishment. Sure, the girl's first words to him were just as expressive and harsh as these words, but she had said them at a safe distance, unlike now. Now, she was right in front of him, a demon who just so happened to fire-bend, and yet showed no signs of fear. He took a sniff, and immediately picked up her aroma. As much as he hated to admit it, he had to say that this girl's scent was amazing. She smelled like the ocean breeze with a hint of pine trees, which made sense considering she was a water-bender. Although, given her temper, it was a wander she wasn't a fire-bender. Vaguely, InuYasha thought she looked familiar in some way, but he brushed it off. The little wench just humiliated him in front of his whole fleet, dammit! He'd make her pay.

"Too bad, bitch! Like it or not, I was given this position, and I'll run it any way I want! You have no power over me, anyway! I earned my place as lieutenant, while you are just some little water-bending foreigner who has no business in the Fire Nation!" Inu-Yasha declared.

 _"Wait...what? I'm in the Fire Nation!? How the heck did that happen? *Sigh* I guess that explains all the fire-benders,"_ Kagome thought to herself, metaphorically smacking her head for her poor directional skills.

The teenager groaned in frustration as she, this time literally, smacked her palm to her forehead and started pacing back and forth, cursing under her breath for her stupidity.

InuYasha, still glaring, observed the girl as she paced, his keen ears twitching as they caught snippets of what she said. He couldn't keep the nasty smirk from his face as he heard her say things like, "Can't believe I'm lost," and "Stupid map, leading me to this chunk of literal, steaming ball of Hell," and various other disgruntled claims.

Deciding to mess with the young woman just for the Hell of it, the fire-bending demon sauntered over to the water-bender, a superior expression plastered upon his face. InuYasha stepped directly into Kagome's path and didn't so much as flinch when the petite female, still rambling and not paying attention to her surroundings, bumped into him and fell on her bottom a second later.

Kagome, again, glared up at her 'offender', "What is it _now_ , jerk?"

Said offender frowned, getting irritated with the girl's attitude.

"Listen here, girl; either you pipe down that defiance or else-," a ball of golden flames erupted from the lieutenant's right palm, the tips dancing merrily at the top, "-you'll be so scarred that not even your mother won't recognize you!,"

An outraged yowl was heard a little ways from InuYasha, and he barely got a chance to glance over before the giant ice cat careened into him, the force of the impact so strong that it flung the dog demon into a patch of nearby bamboo trees. Stunned and panicked cries from his men were heard as they rushed to InuYasha's side, helping the dazed fire-bender up to his feet. Or at least they tried to until the young man pushed them away in anger. Glaring at the three-tailed demon cat, who stood poised for battle with a nasty snarl directed his way, InuYasha tensed when the feline's mistress approached the demon, expecting her to order the beast to attack.

But that never happened.

Instead, Kagome placed her small hand atop Buyo's head and shushed him, cooing softly to him with soothing words. Once the feline was appeased a considerable amount, the sixteen-year-old's soft features hardened once more when she looked to the white-haired boy, but did not engage. She just stood there, until:

"I'm not looking for a fight,"

With that declaration, Kagome visibly sagged, weeks of travel and frustration weighing down upon her. Heaving a sigh, Kagome walked to InuYasha, who eyed her suspiciously, and stuck out her hand. The lieutenant lost his glare only to replace it with an incredulous expression.

"Look, can we just start this all over again? Like this: Hi, I'm Kagome Higurashi of the Southern Water Tribe. And you are?" she introduced, her arm still stretched to the still dumbfounded demon expectantly, while the remaining soldiers waited with bated breath.

InuYasha contemplated for a minute, snorted, and reluctantly reached out his hand for the girl to shake. His claw-tips were just centimeters away when Kagome retracted her hand with a startled "Oh!" and slapped her previously outstretched palm to her cheek. Looking down, the water-bender watched as a flattened flee demon floated down back onto her open hand and with a *pop!*, retained his small, rounded shape. InuYasha rolled his cat-like eyes in annoyance and huffed. Still disoriented from literally being squashed flat by the girl's smooth palm, the miniature demon bowed clumsily as he waited for the world to stop spinning.

"G-good e-evening, my lady! It is I, Myouga the Flee! Please excuse my sampling of your blood, but a fine young maiden such as yourself was bound to possess a satisfying drink for little old me! You understand, yes?" the old bug, now known as Myouga, explained.

Kagome wasn't sure whether or not to be flattered, or disturbed by that logic, so she instead gave a shaky smile and nod in understanding.

"Myouga! Where the Hell did you run off to!? I turn my back for a second and your nowhere to be found! Keh! Guess I shouldn't be surprised; you always turn tail and run right when the going gets rough!" the temporarily forgotten navy lieutenant barked, anger and irritation obvious in his words.

The little demon held up his four arms up in defense, hastily going to explain himself, "M-My lord! You have me all wrong; I wasn't running away! On the contrary, I was busying myself to obtaining this-!" the miniature vassal pulled out the Jewel of Water from his cloths- though it was unclear how he was even able to manage that considering the jewel was two inches larger than his own body- and presented it to InuYasha.

Kagome's aqua-blue eyes widened in alarm and she raised her hands into her thick coat, frantically feeling around for the precious cargo that was _supposed_ to be there. Sure enough, the jewel was no longer around her neck.

" _HEY!_ Give that back, you little bug! That doesn't belong to you!" the water-bender accused loudly, pointing a finger at the demon, who cowered behind the lieutenant's shoulder, only to peek his head out a second later.

As for InuYasha, he stood staring down at the artifact in question, his bangs shadowing his eyes and his expression blank. His mind was reeling from a cluster of thoughts, feelings, and questions.

 _"How the Hell is the jewel here!? I've been fucking searching for it for_ _three_ _damn years, looking from the north pole, all the way to the south, and we still could never find it! So how the Hell could_ _this_ _little wench find it so effortlessly, when I have a whole fucking fleet at my beck-and-call!?"_

"Can you please tell your friend to give me back my necklace right _now_? I need that jewel and Buyo and I need to get to the Earth Kingdom as soon as possible," Kagome's words beckoned the dog-eared man back to the reality of the situation. Looking to the girl who's palm was outstretched and a kind, yet expectant look on her face, he quickly got a reign on himself.

Fisting the broken jewel into a white-knuckled grip, the fire-bender snarled threateningly at the girl, causing her to step back in shock at the sudden hostility aimed towards her. It also had to do when the navy lieutenant's features themselves started to alter faintly. It was only for a split second, but Kagome could've _sworn_ that the dog-demon's eyes bled a light red and that he adopted purple, jagged markings on his cheekbones. but when she blinked, it was gone. InuYasha placed the mystical object into one of his inner pockets on his chest, hiding it from view.

"Hey! What do you think your doing! I need that!" Kagome exclaimed furiously, reaching her hand out, but InuYasha beat her to it and grabbed both of her wrists in an almost bone-crushing grip. Kagome yelped in surprise. Buyo, seeing the action, went to save her, but was stopped when several thick ropes were thrown around his neck, legs, and even tails by the remaining navy soldiers. The ice-cat easily broke free of the ropes, even managing to toss a couple men away from him when they tried to advance. Just when Buyo was free, he barely stalked a few feet before various tranquilizer darts were injected into his thick coat, causing a beast-like yowl to rip from the feline's throat before he transformed into his smaller form and fell in a furry heap on the ground.

Kagome, seeing all of this, was thrashing about, trying to break free from her captor's iron-like grip to get to be beloved friend, tears freely streaming from her eyes as she cried Buyo's name.

"BUYO! OH MY GOD! BUYO! BUYO! **_BUYO!_** " she howled in a panic. InuYasha restrained her, though he had to admit that it was a lot harder than he would have expected. Who would have thought that such a petite, human woman could give him this much trouble?

"He's fine, you stupid bitch! Now, fucking tell me where you got the jewel and why you have it or I'll-AH!" InuYasha's sentence was cut off quite suddenly when Kagome, using her tears, sliced a deep cut across the bridge of his nose with a Water-Dagger. Stumbling back more from surprise than from pain, holding the bridge if his nose as his few remaining men stopped what they were doing and went to see if he was alright.

Kagome used that time to sprint to her best friend and scooped him up in her arms and clutched him to her chest, relieved to see him simply sleeping. Carefully retracting the offending darts from Buyo's fur, the teenager rubbed her cheek against the top of the small cat's head as a sign of comfort, whether for his sake or hers, she wasn't sure. None the less, Buyo began emanating a content purring sound, even in sleep. Despite the situation, Kagome smiled softly.

"Alright, bitch. Here's what's gonna happen; you and your little beast are gonna come with us back to our ship. When we get there, you are gonna explain just _what_ you were doing with a jewel that is _clearly_ too valuable and dangerous for a little wench like you to be carrying around so carelessly. If you resist, then we'll take you there by force as our prisoner. Get it?" InuYasha said, in a deadly calm voice as he approached the young girl, his eyes piecing and his scowl dark with his arms crossed. the cut on his nose had stopped bleeding and was already healing. Sometimes it really paid to have demon abilities.

The soldiers chuckled darkly behind their leader, grim excitement etched into their features.

Teary-blue eyes glared up at fiery amber, anger and scorn written within both sets of eyes. Kagome thought about revolting, unleashing Hell with everything she had, but thought better of it. She knew she couldn't take down the arrogant lieutenant that towered over her, let alone a fleet of fire-bending soldiers, and even if she could, she could not risk anything happening to the unconscious ice-demon in her arms. She couldn't allow him to get hurt. Not again. Then there's the issue with the jewel; Kagome promised her Master and Avatar Midoriko that she'd do everything she could to restore it to it's original state, and she'd be _damned_ if she went back on that promise, Avatar business be damned.

Rising to her feet, head bowed and shoulders slumped in defeat, the sixteen-year-old shot a heated look to the dog-demon, before walking off as if she were being sent to her demise and mumbled, just loud enough for InuYasha to catch it with his keen ears,

"Well then, what are we waiting for?"

InuYasha was shocked and more then a little baffled at the fiery and spirited girl's non-resistant reply, as was the other men, who were more or less disappointed in the lack of revolt by the girl. He figured it out though when he saw the teen cuddle the demon-cat in her arms. Though still unconscious, one of the feline's tails wagged slightly while it hanged down limply from her arm.

 _"She doesn't want to fight, cause she doesn't want the cat-demon to get hurt..."_

It was a thought that brought about a feeling of newfound respect for the strange water tribe girl. It was very rare to see a human willingly give up a fight so easily for a demon, much less cuddle that demon and have it as a companion. His majesty of the Fire Nation and soldiers respected him, but only because he was a valuable asset to them. A pawn. After all, who would pass up the chance to get a fire-bending demon on your side?

InuYasha shook his head and gestured in the direction of Kagome was walking to his men.

"Come on, men! Let's head out!"

 ** _To Be Continued..._**

* * *

 **A/N: I AM SOOOOO SOOORRRRYYYY FOR TAKING SO LONG! I was dealing with some major writers block, and I'm still not completely over it. Even so, I figured it was high-time I finished this chapter cause lord knows it needed to get finished. I'll try to upload the next chapter much sooner, but it might take a while. Please bare with me.**


	4. Chapter Three: Of Secrets and Prejudice

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own "InuYasha" or "Avatar: The Last Airbender". InuYasha characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi and ATLA belongs to Nickelodion.

 **WARNING: CHAPTER INCLUDES CUSSING (MOSTLY DONE BY A HOT-TEMPERED DOG-BOY!)**

 **Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Romance, Drama, and Friendship**

 **Rating: T(Teen)**

 **Book One: The Jewel of Water**

 **Chapter Three: Of Secrets and Prejudice**

When she first embarked on this quest, Kagome never imagined to be taken hostage by a bunch of Fire Nation soldiers from the navy. No siree, that never came up in the job description! Kagome stared out at the tranquil sea as the navy ship navigated through the water, Buyo purring drowsily in her arms as she stroked his soft coat absentmindedly. It had been three days since she'd surrendered to the soldiers. She thought about escaping; after all, she could probably have been able to put up a good fight, what with being on the ocean and all, but Kagome knew better.

She knew that it would be too risky with the Lieutenant constantly breathing down her neck.

The simple fact was that she wouldn't stand a chance in a battle against him. At least not as she was now, unless it was a full moon when her bending would be at it's strongest. However, the full moon wasn't for another few days and by then she either would be in the Fire Nation still or hopefully on her merry way with the Jewel of Water back in her possession.

That was the second reason she had to stay.

Kagome couldn't very well leave the jewel behind after her promise to Midoriko, now could she? It wasn't in Kagome's nature to break promises, especially promises of great importance. As a matter of fact, breaking her promise to Kaede was the first time she'd ever went back on one. She'd make sure it was the last time, too.

Deeming it time to head back to her priso-I mean, room, the teen turned and stalked pass the two guards that stood on both sides of the open steel door. A sharp intake of outrage left her lips when one of the guards not so subtly slapped her ass while she went passed him. Not knowing which one was the culprit, the young girl gave both of them the same medicine; she flicked her wrist and in no time at all, there were two wheezing and moaning men on the floor, their bums now bruised from the nasty Water-Whip that struck them. Huffing, Kagome continued onward, her nose in the air as she entered the room.

Despite the fact that she was held here against her will, Kagome had to admit that her living space wasn't half bad. The room was lit by candlelight, giving it this dark, but warm feeling when she entered. There was also a desk for writing by the window, which allowed the sounds of the ocean to flow into the room, lulling her into a blissful sleep every night since arriving on the vessel. And finally there was the bed, a large mattress that was so comfortable that it made her feel like she slept on a cloud. And above the bed was a large banner with the Fire Nation emblem stitched on it. At first, Kagome was confused about the comfortable quarters when, before even saying anything, InuYasha growled out something about "needing the prisoner close so that he'd make sure she wouldn't get any funny ideas".

Placing the slumbering feline on the comforter atop the bed, Kagome sighed and was about to take off her heavy coat when there was a series of hard knocks outside the door. Wary that it was one of the two guards from earlier, the water-bender slowly made her way to the door, one hand discreetly behind her back as it formed water in her palm should any other perverted movements be made. Cracking the steel door open slightly, Kagome was relieved to see it was only the old soldier named, Chang Bao.

The senior was the only one on the ship that treated her with genuine kindness, something the sixteen-year-old was grateful for. He was a shorter old man, only two inches taller than Keade, with hair just as silver as his demon lieutenant, and a scarred face from battles long past, but a small smile present upon his aged face.

That same smile was what greeted the young woman and she quickly opened the door and let her battle-ready hand relax. The water-bender grinned sheepishly, "Oh, it's just you, Bao. What's up?" The old man grinned.

"It is dinner time upon the deck, my dear. Would you care to join us?"

Kagome was about to decline, when her stomach gave a very noticeable growl that made it clear it wanted food, and wanted it _now_. The water-tribe girl blushed heavily and decided to take the elder up on his offer.

"Um, sure. Why not?" she answered nonchalantly.

When they made their way out to the deck, Kagome's eyes were immediately drawn to the big cauldron surrounded by a small crowd of Fire Nation men, most with their protective armor and helmets off with soup bowls grasped in their hands. Laughter and companionable chatter met her ears as she made her way to the cauldron, ignoring the cat-calls and whistles directed her way and poured some soup into her bowl that she grabbed. Making her way over to Bao, the girl sat down with him and they ate in a comfortable silence.

It was only then, as she scanned around the deck that Kagome noticed something out of place; there was no sign of InuYasha.

In the few days she'd been on the ship, Kagome noticed that the dog-eared demon was never too far away, either giving orders to his men, training out on the deck, or looking out the window in the control deck alongside the captain, a stony glare etched on his face. More often then she cared to admit, Kagome would look up to the control station and, without fail, see the dog demon leering down at her as if she was a filthy criminal that needed to be watched over at all times. The unwanted attention was disturbing, to say the least, but Kagome refused to let the jerk see how uncomfortable the glares made her, opting instead to glare right back at him from wherever she was standing. Usually, they'd hold each other's glare for a couple seconds, before InuYasha, based on the movements she'd see, would snort and turn his burning gaze away from her, as if she weren't worth his time.

Despite always seeing him in one of those three places, the one place that always remained a constant for him was the deck at dinner time. InuYasha was always the first one aside from the chef to get his bowl of whatever was for dinner that night, sweep pass the growing crowd of soldiers, jump unthinkably high to the very top of the ship, then settle down at the edge and look over his crew as they all ate together, while he sat and ate alone. Kagome would always watch him do this, making sure to be discreet so she wouldn't catch his eye, and wander why he never ate with everybody else.

But tonight was different; tonight there was no brooding fire-bending demon on the deck, or on the top of the ship. Even with the bitterness she felt towards the young lieutenant, the water-wielder felt a twinge of concern, wondering if he was alright.

"What troubles you, Kagome?" Bao asked, taking notice that the teen was scanning the area, as if looking for something.

"Bao, where is Lieutenant InuYasha?" Kagome asked, turning to him. The old soldier gave her a strange look and was about to reply, but then-

"Why does a pretty, little thing like you wanna know where that bastard is?"

The sudden voice startled Kagome, and she turned her head to see a man with sandy brown hair standing over her with a sneer. There were a few others who apparently overheard her question, 'cause there were about five other men staring at her. The girl grimaced before replying, "I'm just wandering; I see him all the time at dinner and I-"

"Well, quit wandering. A demon like 'em isn't worth being worried over," the man standing over her interrupted, his tone cold and slightly disgusted at the mention of their lieutenant. As the man stocked away from the flabbergasted teen, Bao went to stand, his old bones creaking and popping at the effort.

"Don't worry yourself about Sao, dear. He's always been that way about demons, just as many others in this world are. He is right however; you don't need to worry yourself because Lieutenant InuYasha always disappears on the night of the new moon," the old man assured.

At that, Kagome turned to stare up at him in curiosity, "The new moon? Why?" she asked.

Chang Bao shrugged, "No one knows. Not much is known about our great lieutenant; one day he just showed up with nowhere to go and joined our ranks. Though, some say he knows the Fire Nation's Prince on a personal level, and that's what landed him the position of Lieutenant to the navy," he explained.

Kagome hummed in understanding and turned back to her soup, her thoughts lingering to the hot-tempered lieutenant...

* * *

Later that night, the petite water-bender found herself getting out of bed and strolling along the outside of the deck, stopping every once in a while to do a trick or two with her water-bending. It was true that on the night of the new moon, water-benders control over water was stalled or hindered, but it also depended on a bender's skill level. Because Kagome was able to exceed to the Mastery Levels of water-bending, her abilities were only hindered, albeit to a great extent, but not stalled. Still, it would be foolish of her to go into a fight on the new moon, as her level of bending would be greatly depleted.

Kagome, like many water-wheilders, was not fond of the nights that the moon vanished from the sky, for it made her feel anxious and weak. To put it simply, Kagome didn't feel safe on the night of the new moon, and now that she was out of the South Pole, on a Fire Navy ship surrounded by soldiers, the anxiety had only grown tenfold.

 _"Oh well, at least no one was up here, so better take this time to clear my head,"_ she thought.

It was in that moment, she felt something.

A sensation prickled at the edges of the sixteen-year-old's subconscious. Halting in her steps, Kagome closed her eyes to focus completely on the strange feeling, the water she was bending dropping down to the metal floor of the deck. Not a second later, she felt the sudden pulse of the jewel nearby, sending her senses into high-alert. Moving her back against the nearby wall, the young woman crept quietly to the end where the wall turned, and peaked her head out from around it to see the widespread part of the deck on the back of the ship. There, she spotted a figure, draped in a cloak, his back to her, as he held the half-assembled jewel above him, while the artifact itself gave off an ethereal glow that the teenager knew only she could see.

"Keh! Figures that little wench would break it! Now what am I gonna do?" The person asked himself, just loud enough for Kagome's ears to pick up on it. Upon hearing that obnoxiously familiar voice insulting who she knew to be herself, the water-tribe girl went to make her presence known by retaliating, but stopped dead when a heavy gust of wind blew off the hood of the ragged cloak to reveal long, dark, black hair cascading down his back.

Not gleaming silver.

But dark, solid, black.

Kagome remained hidden behind the other side of the wall, wondering who exactly this man was, and why he had the jewel and not the lieutenant. It was only when the stranger turned around for her to see his face, that all thought was wiped clean from her mind, her body freezing in shock.

It _was_ the lieutenant.

 _"But...how?"_

Despite not being able to see his facial features too well because of the darkened night, she didn't need anymore confirmation once she saw his eyes.

His eyes, which were still a molten amber.

Like the jewel, his eyes glowed, like two miniature suns.

There was no mistaking it; that was Lieutenant InuYasha.

But as a human.

It didn't seem like he noticed her, and Kagome held her breath as she slowly began backing away, her heart pounding in her chest, trying to be as quiet as possible so she wouldn't draw his attention to her.

Apparently, however, her nose decided that today would be the day to screw her over.

She felt a tickle.

Her nose twitched.

And Kagome sneezed.

Loudly.

Seconds later, she was harshly shoved against the steel wall, the metal connecting with the back of her head roughly, sounding a pained gasp from the girl's lips, while large fingers wrapped tightly around her neck, and a flaming fist pointed at her face, ready to strike her. The only thing was, it didn't. The fist didn't strike her. There was only silence, save for the restrained girl's heavy breathing. Opening her aqua-blue eyes, not even realizing she had shut them in the first place, Kagome's gaze was immediately drawn to her captor's own wide-eyed stare, the light from his inflamed hand just bright enough to allow her to see all of his features.

If she still had any doubts that this fire-bender was InuYasha, then they would've been shot down right then and there, for the man staring back at her had the same hard jawline, nose, chin, black eyebrows, and of course, the same eyes. The only exceptions were his hair and ears. Yes, ears. The once pointed dog ears that stood proudly atop his head were now gone along with the silver tresses, replaced by normal, human ears like her own, and Kagome couldn't help the disappointment that tugged at her heart at seeing them absent.

The two teens just stared at each other, both in a state of astonishment and dread as they each took in the other's features, trying to comprehend what the Hell just happened.

"You," InuYasha whispered.

Kagome didn't respond, mostly due to the firm grip still around her neck, but also because she didn't know what to say. Snapping out of the spell first, the demon-turned-human released the female water-bender from his vise-like grip, to which she dropped to the floor, coughing and heaving as the oxygen rushed freely back into her lungs. Once her breathing was steady, Kagome picked herself up off the floor and looked to the trembling lieutenant, only to see him a few paces away, but still looking at her with a mortified expression. It was as if he was still trying to understand the gravity of the situation, and despite being the victim in this case, Kagome still reached out a comforting palm to the young man, only to retract it when he flinched.

With her fist clenched over her heart, Kagome cast one last glance at the human InuYasha, before walking back to her room.

She didn't feel like walking anymore.

* * *

When Kagome returned to her room, the first thing she did was head straight for the small chest that held her clothes. When she was taken by the soldiers onto the navy ship, they had confiscated most of her belongings.

They had let her keep her clothes, after making sure there wasn't anything that could've been used as a weapon hidden inside the pockets and folds. Little did they know, was that in her parka **(A/N: A parka is a thick, bushy jacket with fluffy layers of animal hair inside the hood you'd wear in winter, or in Kagome's case, the South Pole.)** there was a hidden pocket, where a small bottle contained a ripped piece of paper she'd torn from one of her scrolls about demons. Kaede had given her a basic rundown over the different types of demons and their lifestyles only four months before her departure, and there was a section from one of the scrolls that particularly sparked her interest, so she'd torn it off and put it in a bottle for later. For some reason at the time, Kagome had a hunch that she'd be needing that torn parchment for later.

Taking out the said parka out of the modest-sized chest, Kagome immediately went for the hidden pocket. Taking out the small bottle, she twisted the cork open with ease and tilted the mini container until the torn, but preserved parchment fell into her waiting hand. The water-bender hastily unraveled the paper and read through it, looking for the section she knew was there.

Bingo.

Kagome squinted her eyes slightly to read the surprisingly short section in comparison to the other sections.

 **Hanyou**

 **- _Not much is known about hanyou, or half-demons, as they're sometimes called. The product of a human and a demon, hanyou are not very common to come by, often times killed at birth or early childhood by both humans and demons for their mixed blood. Because of the unstable genetics from both parents, it is believed that the phenomena of a hanyou's appearance altering can occur. Although it is not confirmed, many speculate that, in a dire situation, a hanyou may revert into that of a full-fledged demon in order to protect itself. It is also believed that hanyou have a certain time every month where they loose their demonic attributes completely and temporarily become human._**

Doing a double-take, Kagome reread the final part of the paragraph, thinking over the words in her head.

 ** _"-hanyou have a certain time every month where they loose their demonic attributes completely and temporarily become human."_**

Instantly, Chang Bao's own words echoed back into her mind.

 _"Lieutenant InuYasha always disappears on the night of the new moon,"_

 ** _"-hanyou have a certain time every month where they loose their demonic attributes completely and temporarily become human."_**

 _"-_ _disappears on the night of the new moon,"_

 ** _"-hanyou have a certain time every month-"_**

 _"Does this mean..."_ Kagome began, thinking fast.

 ** _"-_** ** _they loose their demonic attributes completely and temporarily become human."_**

An image from just minutes ago popped up in her mind's eye, the pieces of the puzzle slowly, but surely unraveling in her head.

 _Dark hair. No dog ears. Yet, the same face...the same eyes._

 ** _"-_** ** _temporarily become human."_**

 _"The lieutenant...he's..."_ her thoughts were coming together at last.

 ** _"Hanyou,"_**

 _"He's a..."_

 ** _"Half-demon,"_**

 _"Lieutenant InuYasha's a half-demon,"_ Kagome concluded.

The puzzle was solved.

* * *

It was early on in the afternoon the next day when they finally docked at the port of Capital Island, the mainland of the Fire Nation. Looking out at the island, Kagome saw a modest-sized boating town just ahead of the port. Looking farther up, the water-bender easily spotted a large mountain. What was odd though, was the fact that the entire upper part of it was gone, looking almost ripped away judging by the noticeable gagged tips at the top.

"That's where the capital is," a sudden voice broke through her musings.

Kagome jumped at the voice, but quickly relaxed once she saw it was only Chang Bao. Nodding in understanding, the teen walked down the boardwalk that connected the ship to the cobblestone platform and sighed. Buyo dowsed atop her shoulders, although Kagome kind of wished he wasn't. It was extremely hot out; nothing Kagome was used to, and the added heat on the back of her neck from where the demon-cat's three tails covered it wasn't helping in the slightest. She could already feel the sweat on her brow and she cursed herself for wearing one of her thicker outfits.

 _"How in the moon's name are these people not being boiled alive!?"_ was her exasperated thought.

Stopping to gently detach the groggy feline from his perch, to which said cat hissed fussily at the sudden movements, Kagome took it upon herself to peel off the parka she wore to reveal a deep blue, short-sleeved, tight-fitted shirt, exposing her arms that were wrapped up in bandages from the elbows down, open-fingered, meeting with black gloves comfortably secured around her pale hands. Tying the thick jacket around her waist, Kagome could feel herself already cooling off, if only a little bit.

Scooping up her companion, Kagome carried him in her arms instead of placing him back onto her shoulders. Being an ice-based demon, Buyo wasn't dealing too well in the steaming heat and humidity, and Kagome hoped that they'd be out of the burning oven of an island soon. Very soon.

Back on the ship, standing by the boardwalk, InuYasha observed the young girl with an aprehensive eye as she made her way down the port, memories from the night before still fresh in his mind. He shuddered in revulsion thinking about; seeing Kagome's crystal-blue eyes lock with his own, an all-too familiar emotion that seemed to always be directed his way: fear. There was one, major difference this time, however; this time, when the fear was looking him through oceanic-blue eyes, he was human.

Not a demon.

Not a half-demon.

A full-blooded, mortal human.

He'd seen men tremble at his feet, mothers steer away their children once he came walking down the road, those same children shooting fearful glances back at him over their shoulders. He's watched his own crew gossip about him in contempt when they thought he couldn't hear them, faced down demons who underestimated him for his blood or otherwise, and has always ignored the ridiculed and distrustful sneers from the other important officials whenever he walked in to give his status report to the Fire Lord.

Over time, he learned to ignore it, be indifferent to it all. It was just another aspect of his life; the prejudice he'd face. No one knew the truth of his heritage, of what he was, except for the few demons that scented his blood, though he always made quick work of them before they blabbered out his secret for the whole world to know. However, just being classified as a 'demon' does little in his favor, especially amongst the humans, who fear anything and everything involving demons, much less hanyous.

In truth, it was the few times he went out in his most loathed form that InuYasha was looked at with no malice or disgust, but complete trust and acceptance. As much as he hated his human state above all others, it was the only time the fire-bender ever got a temporary reprieve from the prejudiced glares and scowls of the humans at the ports they stopped at. It was, at those times, InuYasha knew fear would never be directed his way; not as a human.

An image of two, terrified, aqua-blue eyes popped it's way into his head, staring back at him with pure, unadulterated _fear._

The teenage lieutenant clentched his hands into fists, as he grit his teeth and fangs, banishing the unwelcomed image from his mind's eye.

But he'd been _wrong_.

* * *

 **A/N:** I'M ALIVE!

So, you guys probably really want to kill me for disappearing for, well... _forever_ but life's been in the way and for the longest time I didn t know what direction to go in with this chapter. It's been sitting in my files for ages 'Cause I planned it to be much longer than it is, but as I've said, I had no clear direction for this chapter, so I'm sorry it's really short in comparison to previous chapters. I also wanted to post this because I have a few other fanfic ideas I wanna get started on, but I would've felt really guilty if I didn't post a new chapter to this story that I haven't updated for MONTHS!. Again, really sorry it took so long to post this chapter, but mores to come (hopefully) soon along with new stories, one of which I'll probably try to upload sometime this week. **(Don't you just LOVE winter break!?)**


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